Olympic champion Zverev to play at Hamburg tournament

 

HAMBURG – Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev will play at the European Open tournament in his German birth town of Hamburg in July, organizers said on Tuesday.

“I’m delighted to be back at the Hamburg European Open for the first time since 2019. Winning the tournament is a huge childhood dream of mine,” Zverev said in a tournament statement.

“I hope I’ll have the crowd right behind me and I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful week of tennis together.”

The men’s and women’s tournament at the Rothenbaum tennis centre is scheduled for July 23-30.

Zverev’s confirmation came a few days after he admitted after an opening-match exit in Munich that he has found it hard to play in his home country lately.
“Over the last years I am having trouble dealing with the pressure of playing in Germany. I am super nervous,” he said.

Zverev is playing at the Madrid Masters this week, still trying to regain his form in a return from a severe ankle injury he sustained in early June at the French Open and which sidelined him for the rest of the year.

His best result this year is a semi-final berth in Dubai, and the former world number two seed has dropped to 16th in world tennis rankings.