‘Not clicking’ – top seed Alexander Zverev crashes out in Indian Wells opener

INDIAN WELLS – World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, beaten by Tallon Griekspoor in his Indian Wells opener on March 7, said “terrible” play has pushed thoughts of supplanting Jannik Sinner atop the rankings out of his mind.

The German was the top seed in the prestigious ATP Masters event in the California desert as world No. 1 Sinner serves a belated three-month doping ban.

Zverev, runner-up to Sinner at the Australian Open, said the Italian’s enforced absence had at first had him harbouring ideas of climbing to the top. But they are now fading with his game.

“Now it’s less, because I’m just playing terrible,” said the 27-year-old, who also suffered early exits at Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Acapulco before his disastrous Indian Wells second-round showing.

He was the first Indian Wells men’s top seed to lose his opening match since Andy Murray in 2017.

“I have to find my game before thinking about that, because to become world No. 1 you have to win tournaments,” Zverev added. “I’m not past getting first, second round at the moment. So I need to figure that out first.”

For a start, he said he had no specific explanation for his drop in form since the Australian Open.

In a pre-tournament press conference, he had pointed to illness in two of the three weeks of his “rough South American swing”. But after falling 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) to 43rd-ranked Dutchman Griekspoor, he admitted that he simply was not playing well enough.

“I’m not playing a level that I want to play, definitely not playing anywhere near what I played in Australia,” he said.

After winning the first set against Griekspoor, Zverev had rallied from 2-5 down in the second to lead 6-5, but he was broken as he served for the match.

He fought off five match points in the 12th game of the third set, converting his fifth break point of the game to force the final tiebreaker in which he could hold off his opponent no longer.

“He played a good match,” Zverev added. “There’s no question about that. But I have to look at myself a little bit. It’s everything. I keep working, but right now it’s just not clicking.”

It was a cherished win for Griekspoor, who had lost five straight matches – including four in 2024 – to the German.

That included a five-setter at the French Open in which he was up a double break in the fifth in a defeat he called “absolute heartbreak”.

“It was such a mental thing. I played so many battles against him and had chances, but they all went his way. I am incredibly proud of myself from this performance and to get it over the line,” said the 28-year-old Griekspoor, who finally claimed his first victory over a top-five player in his 19th attempt.

In other matches, American Marcos Giron posted his first win over a top-five player, upsetting fourth seed Casper Ruud of Norway 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-2. Popular 10th seed Tommy Paul eased past fellow American Tristan Boyer 6-3, 6-1 in front of packed stands.

Iga Swiatek, the women’s defending champion in this combined ATP and WTA 1000 event, eased through her opener 6-2, 6-0 against French veteran Caroline Garcia. Swiatek, who is vying to become the first three-time women’s champion, said she was happiest that she maintained her focus until the end.

“The conditions weren’t easy. It was pretty windy out here,” she said.

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina was also sharp in her first match, taking out Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-3. AFP, REUTERS