Alexander Zverev secures semi-final spot at Monte-Carlo Masters
Alexander Zverev became the first player to book his spot in the semi-finals of this year’s Monte-Carlo Masters.
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Zverev’s three-set win over Joao Fonseca continued what has been a steady start to his 2026 season.
The German, who is currently ranked fifth in the world, now holds an 18-5 record on the year, including three semi-final appearances across the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami Open.
While speaking to reporters at Monte Carlo, Zverev was asked about his career and ended up naming the most ‘annoying’ opponent he’s ever faced.
Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP via Getty ImagesZverev picks the ATP player he finds hardest to face
Zverev was taking part in a quickfire Q&A with Eurosport France when the topic came up.
Many fans might have expected him to say either Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, but he surprised everyone by choosing someone else from the top of the ATP rankings.
“For me, a period of time was maybe Daniil (Medvedev),” said Zverev. “I didn’t like playing him, I was losing a lot.”
Medvedev holds a 14-8 lead over Zverev in their head-to-head meetings and has taken five of their last six matches.
Zverev’s win at the 2025 Paris Masters broke a long stretch without a victory against Medvedev, his first since Cincinnati in 2023. Meanwhile, his struggles against Sinner have been even more pronounced, losing seven straight matches.
His record against Alcaraz is more competitive, sitting at six wins from 13 encounters, though he’s managed just one win in their past five matchups.
Zverev has earned praise for his recent form
Despite plenty of criticism from fans, often centred on his lack of a Grand Slam title, Alexander Zverev’s recent form suggests he’s one of the steadiest players on the ATP Tour.
The German has already made two Masters semi-finals in 2026 and now has six such appearances in the last seven Masters 1000 tournaments. The only exception came at the Shanghai Masters, where he lost to eventual champion Valentin Vacherot.
Zverev is firmly entrenched as the world number three, sitting more than 800 points clear of Novak Djokovic.
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