Alexander Zverev's diminishing form draws concerned reaction from former pro after Indian Wells shock

Former American pro Steve Johnson recently shared his analysis on Alexander Zverev's frequent early exits in 2025. The ex-pro mentioned how Zverev appears to have drifted back to his old form, losing the aggression that made him excel over the toughest of rivals.

Zverev's 2025 season has been nothing less than a bumpy ride. Although the ATP star started off well by making it to the finals in Melbourne, he lost the chance of winning his maiden Grand Slam with a defeat against Jannik Sinner. Since that, he hasn't been able to make it past the quarterfinals in any of the events, including Argentina, Rio, Mexican Open and Indian Wells.

The renowned squad of former American pros Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey, John Isner and Jack Sock recently discussed the ongoing situation involving Alexander Zverev. In a recent episode of the Nothing Major podcast, Johnson highlighted the concerns over the German's current form.

"I don't know if we saw this coming. I'm pretty sure I stated after he lost the Australian Open that, you know, when he made those comments—he's like, "I'm just not good enough." He went on and on, saying like, you know, he's just not ready to win a Major. I said he would be fine. Indian Wells, Miami—he's going to win some of these tournaments, and all that matters is the next thing, the next Grand Slam in May, which is the French Open for him," he said. (1:57 onwards)

While Johnson believed in the German's potential earlier, he explained how the negative results made him feel dicey about his past predictions on Zverev.

"I think I was wrong on that prediction. He has looked out of sorts, flat, just not his best tennis. He's kind of reverted back to his old style of tennis, where he's just kind of rallying. And that has won him hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of matches on tour, but I liked what he was doing earlier—late last year, early this year—kind of trying to be more aggressive," he added.

With this defeat, Zverev continues to be on the hunt for a title this year after winning the Paris Masters in 2024.

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Alexander Zverev expresses doubts over his current form amid consistent setbacks

Alexander Zverev at the BNP Paribas Open - Day 3 - Source: Getty

Alexander Zverev's recent defeat against Tallon Griekspoor at the BNP Paribas Open made him reconsider his current state. In a press conference following his round of 64 exit at Indian Wells, the German said he is now focused on recapturing his past form. He also highlighted the recurring struggles of not being able to get past the first or second rounds.

"Now it's less, because I'm just playing terrible. I have to find my game before thinking about that, because to become world number one you have to win tournaments. I'm not past getting first, second round at the moment. So I need to figure that out first," he said.

The ATP star now stands in a situation of doubt after repetitive setbacks on hard courts. Besides the exit from singles, his doubles participation at Indian Wells also couldn't survive for long as he faced a defeat against the duo of Harri Heeliovaara and Henry Patten.