Defending Rome champion Zverev blames burn out on poor run of form

ROME: Defending Rome Open champion Alexander Zverev said he is now on a “good path”, putting a poor run of form following his defeat in the Australian Open final down to burn-out.

The 28-year-old world number two put an end to the dry run -- which included opening round defeats in Indian Wells and Monte Carlo -- by winning the ATP title in Munich in mid-April.

The German, who is still seeking his first Grand Slam title, said he should in retrospect have taken time off after losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the Australian Open final at the end of January. “Before Munich obviously my level of play wasn´t great,” he said at Tuesday´s press conference.

“There are reasons for it. I think not taking time off after Australia was a big reason for it. I felt like I burned out a little bit.” Zverev said the life of a professional tennis player was an incessant cycle of travelling and playing without any time to rest. “Tennis is a tough sport,” he said.

“We play a lot. We travel a lot. First of all, we don´t give our bodies rest, but we also don´t give our heads rest.

“I´m on a good path. I won a tournament two weeks ago. I cannot forget that. And I have to focus on the positives.” Zverev, though, said he believed one day he would be world number one and lashed out at the media for belittling him when he was enduring the bad run.