Zverev's Wimbledon alert: Sensational first-round debacle!

Zverev's Wimbledon alert: Sensational first-round debacle!

A shock for the tennis world: Third seed Alexander Zverev surprisingly threw in the towel in the first round of the prestigious Wimbledon tournament against French outsider Arthur Rinderknech. With 6:7 (3:7), 7:6 (10:8), 3:6, 7:6 (7:5) and 4:6, Zverev had to admit defeat and thus experienced his earliest opening defeat at a Grand Slam since 2019 ZVW.de reported. Particularly bitter: Zverev was unable to break his opponent's serve throughout the entire game.

The game, which lasted 4:40 hours, was canceled the evening before when the score was 1:1 due to the curfew in Wimbledon. This rule, in effect since 2009, limits game time until after 11 p.m., leaving fans hanging. The next day, Zverev took to Center Court again at 4:04 p.m. local time, but he couldn't take advantage of the atmosphere because the oppressive atmosphere, despite a light wind, didn't seem to have done him any good.

A challenging match

Rinderknech, who is ranked 72nd in the world, appeared strong and self-confident. Unfortunately, Zverev's attempts to attack in the crucial moments were unsuccessful. Last night he met with his brother Mischa to discuss the first two sentences, which shows how important the exchange is to him in such critical phases. But there was no chance of catching up: Zverev missed several break points in the decisive fourth set and often appeared passive, which ultimately fell on his feet.

This defeat doesn't exactly come at the best time for Zverev. Last season he made it to the quarterfinals, where he lost in a thrilling five-set match against Taylor Fritz. This year, hopes of his first Grand Slam triumph seem to have receded into the distance.

A look at the statistics

The Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and the only one on grass, attracts the best tennis players in the world year after year. A lot has happened since 1877, when the tournament was founded due to a defective turf roller: the number of spectators has increased to around 15,000 per day at Center Court, where the games take place today. Players must wear 90% of their clothing in white, and traditionally there are strawberries and cream to enjoy during the games, which further enhances the atmosphere at Wimbledon tz.de reported.

Wimbledon has its own stars, some of them record winners like Roger Federer and Martina Navratilova. Zverev, on the other hand, still has to wait for a win and it remains to be seen whether the talented player can still get the corner to bounce back in the next tournaments.

More German players affected

Zverev is also not the only German tennis professional who was eliminated from the tournament that day. Tatjana Maria also had to capitulate in the first round against Katie Volynets 3:6, 7:6 (4:7), 1:6, while Ella Seidel had to give up due to injury after she sprained her ankle. Of the seven German professionals who started, only Eva Lys, Laura Siegemund and Jan-Lennard Struff are in the second round.

The question remains: What will happen next for Zverev? Toni Kröger, a prominent sports expert, says our hopes for a new German tennis star still exist, but Zverev needs to rethink his tactics and refocus on his game.