'It's a place where I can play well': Alexander Zverev seeks Shanghai spark despite battling with injuries and fatigue

Germany’s Alexander Zverev is hoping to have a better outing at the ongoing Shanghai Masters. The ATP 1000 event commenced on Wednesday, featuring some of the world's top players competing to showcase their talent and secure the ultimate prize.

The tournament, however, will not see the reigning world number one, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, as he decided to withdraw to regain full fitness after suffering an injury at the recently concluded Japan Open. In Alcaraz’s absence, Italy’s Jannik Sinner will enter the competition as the top-seeded player.

The second-seed will be Germany’s Zverev. The 28-year-old is having a difficult season, marked by many downs and few ups. In 2025, he featured in 62 matches across different competitions and won 45 of them. He managed to win just one title this year, which was the BMW Open in Munich, where he defeated America’s Ben Shelton in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2,6-4.

Talking ahead of his first match in the competition, Zverev spoke to ATP’s official website, where he expressed optimism about having a good competition. Zverev highlighted that his good record gives him a lot of confidence going into the mega-event.

"It's a place that brings back many memories, but I'm not sure if there's anything in particular," says Zverev. "The first memory that comes to mind is the match against Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of 2019, that day was very special in the way I played, surely many people still remember it. Here in Shanghai, I have reached a final and another semifinal, enough information to be aware that it's a place where I can play well, so I'll work hard to make things go well for me this week."

Big opportunity ahead

In six main round appearances, Zverev has managed to reach the semifinals on two occasions. His best performance came in the 2019 edition, where he finished as the runner-up after losing to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. In 2018, Zverev lost in the semifinal to the former world number one Novak Djokovic. The last two editions, however, did not go as planned for Zverev, who was knocked out after losing in the second and fourth rounds, respectively.

Zverev’s most recent appearance before arriving in Shanghai was in Beijing, where his journey ended after losing to Medvedev in the quarterfinal of the China Open in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-3. Discussing his feelings towards the end of the season, Zverev described himself as ‘fatigued’ but also expressed optimism that he will be able to finish the season on a high note.

"Honestly, if I think about this part of the season, already reaching the end, the first word I would use to describe it is fatigue (laughs),” said Zverev. “But it's normal, we're here after a very extensive calendar. It's by no means an excuse; we are in one of the world's most important tournaments, a Masters 1000 event, where all players dream of displaying their best tennis level. Every player works to achieve their goals, so I'm no different from them, I also want to play at a high level here. I hope to achieve that and continue building a good form.”

Zverev has faced a lot of criticism for the lack of silverware this season. One of the reasons for Zverev's lacklustre performances on the court has been the fact that he is carrying a back injury. Talking about it, Zverev admitted that it has been ‘tough’ for him to go about his business as usual while having pain in his back.

"It's tough,” admits Zverev. “Starting from the training sessions, unfortunately, I can't train too much because this issue is demanding more rest than usual from me. It's something difficult to manage, but it's a pain that becomes very bothersome if you don't take care of it properly, so this is what it is. The seasons on the circuit are very long, something we know from the start, so each player carries their own issues and particular discomforts. For me, this year has been the back, but even so, I'll try to continue giving my 100% every time I step onto the court. I've had two injections so far, and that's been helping me.”