"I regret what I said" - Alexander Zverev clarifies his "not good enough" remarks, days after Australian Open final defeat

Alexander Zverev reflected on his candid remark about being "not good enough", days after the 2025 Australian Open final. Despite an impressive run in Melbourne that saw him reach the final, the German was self-critical of his performance.

Zverev faced a daunting challenge against Jannik Sinner in the final on January 26, falling in straight sets. During his post-match on-court interview, the German appeared disappointed with his performance, admitting he wasn’t good enough.

However, the World No. 2 expressed regret over his blunt self-criticism after the match. Speaking to Tennis.com, Zverev admitted that while his performance in the final was lacking, Sinner was the superior player and fully deserved the victory.

"I was mentally extremely down and so I was very disappointed with the final and how [it] went. Now looking back at it, I regret what I said. I regret saying that after Grand Slam final that I'm maybe not good enough. Because at the end of the day, the final was not good enough. He was much, much better than me. Jannik fully deserved to win, and he was the much better player than me," he said.

Zverev emphasized the importance of maintaining self-belief, admitting that his emotions got the better of him. However, he remains confident in his ability to win a Grand Slam this year and in the years to come.

"But you still mentally have to keep believing. You still mentally have to believe that you can win Grand Slams and you can win at the biggest stage. And in that moment, I let my emotions take over and said not the right thing in a way for me and for my future. But I still believe that I can. And now a few weeks have passed, I still believe that I can and I will win a Grand Slam this year and hopefully in the next few years to come," he added.

Alexander Zverev arrived at Rod Laver Arena hoping to claim his first Grand Slam title, but defending champion Jannik Sinner proved too strong for him. The match started on even footing, with both players at 3-3 in the first set, but the Italian gained the upper hand to secure it 6-3. The second set was more competitive, pushing into a tiebreak, yet Sinner had the edge, winning it 7-6(4). The World No. 1 went on to claim the third set 6-3, securing his third Major title. Throughout the match, Sinner denied Zverev a single breakpoint opportunity.

The German has now set his sights on the 2025 French Open, the next Grand Slam of the season. However, his quest for the clay-court Major recently suffered a surprising setback.

Alexander Zverev faced a shocking defeat at the Argentina Open quarterfinal

Alexander Zverev at Nitto ATP Finals 2024 - Image Source: Getty

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev suffered an unexpected defeat in the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, falling to home favorite Francisco Cerúndolo in the quarterfinals. The German made a strong start, winning the first set in a match interrupted twice by rain.

However, momentum shifted as Cerúndolo seized control, winning four consecutive games and 11 of the last 14 to dominate the remainder of the match. He closed out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory, hitting 25 winners to 31 unforced errors, including 21 off his forehand.

While Alexander Zverev was eliminated, Cerúndolo advanced to the semifinals, where he will face Spain’s Pedro Martínez.