Alexander Zverev exited the Italian Open in disappointment after a hard-fought quarterfinal against Lorenzo Musetti. While the German star battled through a tense match, his frustration boiled over as he criticized the tournament’s ball quality, calling them “a joke” and “too slow.”
Zverev had previously expressed concerns about the balls used in Rome, arguing that they were inconsistent compared to those used in other clay-court tournaments. His frustration reached a peak during a heated exchange with the chair umpire, where he vented about the difficulty of hitting winners with the slower balls. Despite his aggressive playing style, he struggled to break through Musetti’s defense, ultimately falling in straight sets.
The issue of ball quality has been a recurring topic among players this season, with several voicing concerns about variations in speed and weight across different tournaments. Zverev’s remarks add to the growing debate about equipment standards in professional tennis.
This is what he said:
“Balls were a joke today.
Generally speaking this is a subject we’ve had over the last three, four years now. Players are talking about it all the time. They say we play with the same ball in Monaco, Madrid, Munich. Then we come here and the ball is totally different. The ball is very, very big. It’s very difficult to hit winners here. It’s just how it is these days. Of course, for me, for my game style, today was not easy because at the end of the day I’m still somebody that tries to play aggressive. I’m still somebody that tries to serve very fast. That’s how it is. It’s difficult to get free points today.”
As Musetti moves forward in the tournament, Zverev will look to regroup and adjust his game ahead of the next major event. Whether his concerns about ball quality will lead to changes remains to be seen, but his frustration highlights an ongoing challenge for players adapting to different conditions on tour.
Alexander Zverev in 2025
At the moment ranked no.2 (career-high), Alexander played his last match on the 14th of May when he capitulated to world no.9 Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(1) 6-4 in the quarter in Rome (draw).
This season the German has achieved a compiled 24-9 match record. Zverev has won 1 title in Munich. The German was the finalist at the Australian Open.
He is also scheduled to play at the French Open (French Open) on the 25th of May and Stuttgart (Boss Open) on the 9th of June.
Musetti in Rome, ranking, and results in 2025
Now ranked no.9 (career-high), Lorenzo achieved a compiled 20-6 record in 2025. The Italian is now competing in Rome where he defeated the world no.130 Otto Virtanen 6-3 6-2, the world no.29 Brandon Nakashima 6-4 6-3, the world no.11 Daniil Medvedev 7-5 6-4 and the world no.2 Alexander Zverev 7-6(1) 6-4.
Lorenzo Musetti will face the world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal. Their actual head to head record is 5-1 for Alcaraz.
Musetti was the runner-up in Monte-Carlo (Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters).
Alexander Zverev and Lorenzo Musetti squared off 4 times. Their actual record is 3-1 for Musetti.