Alexander Zverev arrives at the Monte Carlo Masters carrying genuine momentum, and for a player who has spent years chasing that elusive first Grand Slam title, the clay-court swing couldn’t come at a better time. The German world number two has spoken openly about his mindset heading into one of tennis’s most prestigious Masters events, and despite a disrupted build-up, he sounds anything but rattled.
Zverev’s start to 2025 has been largely impressive. He went deep in both Indian Wells and Miami during the Sunshine Swing, and while he didn’t lift a trophy, he showed flashes of the aggressive, front-foot tennis he’s been deliberately building into his game. His Miami Open campaign was particularly notable — a tight contest against world number one Jannik Sinner that Zverev himself believes was closer than the scoreline indicated.
“I had my chances in the second set,” Zverev told media ahead of Monte Carlo, referring to that Sinner clash. He was gracious in defeat, acknowledging that the Italian was “the best player in the world on a hard court at the moment” — but there was no sense of deflation in his words. Rather, a player who knows his level is rising.
What’s telling is how Zverev is framing his adjusted game philosophy. He’s spoken about consciously shifting towards a more aggressive playing style, taking the game on rather than waiting for opponents to make errors. By his own admission, that transition is starting to bear fruit, and those watching his matches this year would be hard-pressed to disagree.
Alexander Zverev’s Monte Carlo Preparation and the Road to Roland Garros
One of the more intriguing storylines heading into Alexander Zverev’s Monte Carlo campaign is the lack of conventional preparation time. He missed the ATP events in Hamburg and Munich, both of which would have provided valuable clay-court practice matches. Those absences were linked to his commitments with Team8, the athlete management company co-founded by Roger Federer and Tony Godsick. It’s an arrangement that is becoming a more regular feature of the tennis calendar, and one that other Team8-represented players may increasingly navigate in seasons to come.
Despite the disruption, Zverev is reframing the narrative. He told reporters that taking just three days off before heading straight into training at Monte Carlo isn’t a setback — it’s actually a sign that things are going well. “That’s a positive thing because that means you played well in Miami,” he explained, pointing out that players only miss lead-up events when they’re still competing deep into tournaments. It’s a reasonable perspective, and one that speaks to his mental composure.
The clay season is a gruelling stretch even by professional tennis standards, and arriving fresh rather than fatigued from extra tune-up matches could prove more valuable than it first appears. Zverev, who has long been considered one of the best clay-court players outside of the traditional Spanish mould, will be hoping that a clear head translates into clear tennis at Monte Carlo’s legendary Courts Rainier III.
The bigger picture, of course, is Roland Garros. It remains the Grand Slam Zverev considers his best opportunity at breaking through at Major level — and everything from here until late May is essentially groundwork. His runner-up finish at the 2020 US Open and his performances at previous French Opens have shown he belongs in the conversation, but belonging and winning are two very different things.
With Sinner in dominant form and Carlos Alcaraz always dangerous on clay, the competition for that Paris title is fierce. But a Zverev who is playing aggressively, arriving healthy, and mentally locked in is a serious threat to anyone in the draw. Monte Carlo will give us an early and important read on just how ready he really is.