Alexander Zverev’s Cincinnati Open 2025 hopes ended on Saturday after a 4-6, 3-6 defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. The German star looked strong early but later required a medical timeout as dizziness and breathing trouble hit him hard in the scorching Cincinnati heat.
Early dominance turns into concern
Zverev had enjoyed an impressive start to the tournament, brushing aside Nishesh Basavareddy, Brandon Nakashima, and Karen Khachanov. He swept past his first two opponents in straight sets, while Khachanov managed to push him in a tighter contest.
Signs of trouble, however, appeared in his quarterfinal clash against Ben Shelton. While leading comfortably, he suddenly requested medical attention. “My head is spinning,” Zverev said at courtside. “I can’t get any air into my lungs.” Fans saw him stretching oddly after points, a worrying indication of his condition.
Despite that, he pushed through the problem and closed out the win in one hour and 17 minutes, securing his place in the semifinal.
Alcaraz capitalizes on Zverev’s weakness
Against Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev started with determination, returning aggressively and matching the Spaniard from the baseline. The match looked evenly poised until Alcaraz stepped up late in the first set, winning 6-4.
That shift proved costly. Early in the second set, Zverev’s physical struggles returned. He left the court for treatment at 2-1, suffering from dizziness and clear breathing discomfort.
After the timeout, his rhythm disappeared. The German’s energy dropped, his movement slowed, and his focus faded. Alcaraz kept pressing and wrapped up the second set 6-3, booking his place in the final.
Zverev’s road ahead
Alcaraz’s victory marked his seventh straight ATP final and set up another clash with Jannik Sinner. For Zverev, the defeat raised questions about his physical readiness before the US Open.
While his tennis looked sharp during most of the week, his repeated health issues in Cincinnati may require medical assessment and careful preparation ahead of New York.
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