“I regret saying after a Grand Slam final that I’m maybe not good enough,” Alexander Zverev said back in January after his heartbreaking loss to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final. His words reflected the weight of the defeat. Ever since, Sascha’s hard-court performances have dipped. Although he reached the QFs in Argentina and Rio, the highlight was a shocking first-round exit in Indian Wells. However, Zverev’s clay-court journey is on the up. After a setback in Monte Carlo, he lifted his first trophy at the BMW Open. Now, with the Madrid Open in full swing, Zverev’s fortunes are aligning, as he has gone past the Spanish icon Rafael Nadal and is one win away from matching Swiss legend Roger Federer’s achievement. Wondering what that achievement is? Let’s delve deep.

Alexander Zverev, ranked world number two, faced a formidable challenge in a captivating third-round match at the Madrid Open, ultimately prevailing over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a contest lasting two hours and 44 minutes. After dropping the first set 2-6, Sascha found himself a break down in the second as well but rallied to take the set in a tense tie-break (7-3). The match went the distance as both players traded intense blows, with Zverev failing to serve out at 5-4, giving Fokina a glimmer of hope for an upset. But the Spaniard couldn’t capitalise.

Zverev showed resilience, dominating the final tie-break (7-0) to seal a hard-fought victory and extend his winning streak to 7 matches. With his place in the Madrid R16 secured, Zverev has now made history, breaking records set by tennis legends. His eyes are firmly set on clinching a third Madrid title.

After his thrilling win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Opta Ace, on X, shared an impressive stat: Only Roger Federer (26) has won more from his first 30 matches at the Madrid Masters than Zverev’s 25. Even Rafa’s tally was 24 wins after 30 matches. Now that’s impressive from Sascha, isn’t it?

With his victory, Zverev also added another feather to his cap by becoming the second player born since 1990 to claim 25 or more wins at a single ATP Masters 1000 event, after Grigor Dimitrov, who achieved 26 wins at Monte-Carlo.

“The first set wasn’t my best tennis, but it is a sport that can change quickly. I was down a set and a break, and I had to fight. I am very happy with the win. Alejandro is playing unbelievable tennis, the best of his life, so I am happy to be through,” Zverev said after the match.

The German now faces Francisco Cerundolo, aiming for a spot in the Madrid Open QF. However, his win was marred by frustration after a controversial line-call ruling, which left him enraged. Zverev expressed his dissatisfaction with the system, voicing concerns over the fairness of the decision-making process in such an important tournament.

“Hope they don’t fine me,” Alexander Zverev opens up after a controversial line call dispute in Madrid

The controversy surrounding electronic line-calling on clay courts overshadowed Zverev’s thrilling 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(0) victory over the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The 28-year-old was visibly frustrated after a call in the tenth game of the 2nd set, where he believed the ball had gone wide. 

Despite his objections, the electronic system ruled the ball in, prompting Zverev to appeal to the chair umpire, Mohamed Lahyani. The decision was still upheld, and in his post-match interview, Zverev did not hold back, delivering a scathing critique of the technology.

“Honestly, I believe there was a failure in the system. I think there was an error in the system at that moment,” Sascha remarked. “I am a fan of the electronic system, but the ball is not just a little bit – a millimetre in or out – it was like four, five centimetres. Honestly, I believe there was a failure in the system at that moment. I hope they don’t fine me because, obviously, in my opinion, I am completely right and should not be fined for this,” he further added.

To emphasize his point, Zverev later posted a picture of the ball mark on his Instagram account, highlighting the discrepancy between the call and where the ball actually landed. His post was captioned: “Just gonna leave this one here. This was called in. Interesting call.” 

Zverev is not alone in his concerns. Aryna Sabalenka recently voiced similar frustrations in Stuttgart, and the broader tennis community has begun questioning the shift towards electronic systems. While line judges have been removed from all ATP events, Roland-Garros plans to continue using them. 

The ongoing debate raises important questions about the balance between technology and human oversight in the sport, especially on surfaces like clay, where challenges are often more difficult to call. What’s your take on the electronic line-calling on clay over traditional line judges?