Alexander Zverev Told to 'Retire' As Shanghai Masters Exit Draws Wild Reactions: 'He Is Finished'

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Alexander Zverev Told to 'Retire' As Shanghai Masters Exit Draws Wild Reactions: 'He Is Finished'

Originally posted on EssentiallySports
By Firdows Matheen | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 10:35 AM ET

It’s a tough time for Alexander Zverev coming into the Shanghai Masters. The German was the second seed at the tournament, showing progress this time around in his opening match against Valentin Royer. He reached the round of 32 with a straight-set win, 6-4, 6-4, but it wasn’t as easy against Arthur Rinderknech. And his fans aren’t too pleased with the result.

On Monday, he lost his match against the Frenchman, taking the first set 6-4, only to lose his form in the next two. It cost him the match as Rinderknech won with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 to make it to the R16! Zverev was reportedly struggling with an injury ahead of the match, but now that he is out of the Masters 1000, it raises concerns.

One fan took to X to share their thoughts on his exit, writing, “Alexander Zverev should retire. He is finished.” This exit marks yet another setback for the German, who has been struggling to make it to the later stages of tournaments since his win at the BMW Open against Ben Shelton back in April! His last final came at the BOSS Open, where he lost to Taylor Fritz, and since then, he’s had trouble on the courts.

Alexander Zverev should retire.He is finished.

— Himangshu Goswami (@HimangshuG69) October 6, 2025

Ahead of this match, Zverev shared an interesting take on the courts at the tournaments. Echoing Roger Federer’s sentiments on how tournament directors favor the World No.1 and No.2 when it comes to deciding the conditions of the surface, he said, “I think the tournament directors are going towards that direction because, obviously, they want Jannik and Carlos to do well every tournament and that’s what they prefer.”

“Nowadays, you can play almost the same way on every surface. I don’t like it, I’m not a fan of it,” he added. However, contrary to his words, Sinner denied the claims, confirming they don’t have any control over the conditions of the court. Not to mention, the World No.2 himself was forced to retire from the Shanghai Masters on Sunday during his match against Tallon Griekspoor. Cramps were the reason that saw the defending champion in pain during the third set after taking the first set off the Dutchman!

Now, with Sascha out of the tournament, it’s a tough moment for fans who hoped to see him possibly bag a 1000s title in mainland China!

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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