"How stupid can that be?": Alexander Zverev signs up to play Hamburg Open weeks after openly berating scheduling

Alexander Zverev has had to eat his words somewhat with the German set to return home to play the Hamburg Open suddenly mere weeks after berating its place in the schedule which begins on Monday 19 May.

Zverev will be top seed and he kind of foresaw most of the big names not bothering in Hamburg or Geneva. Only really Zverev, Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz play over the next week. Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud both entered but exited out of events due to their runs in Rome.

But Zverev said that while he loves the event, he gave his initial reasoning not to play due to proximity before Roland Garros calling it stupid. He then accepted a wildcard mere days before.

"I love playing in Hamburg. I wish I could play there every year. I just don't know who had the idea to schedule Hamburg, one day before the French Open. How stupid can that be? I don't know who had that idea," said Zverev to Magenta TV.

"No top player or someone who wants to win the French Open can play the final in Hamburg on Saturday and then play the first round of the French Open on Monday."

"We're playing a best-of-five tournament in Paris. You have to prepare physically. You have to be there. You have to sleep in the bed you'll be sleeping in for the next two weeks."

"In the week before the French Open, Alcaraz won't play I won't play. Djokovic won't play. No player with an eye on the French Open will play there. Jannik Sinner registered because he's suspended and has to play a tournament. Unfortunately that killed Hamburg a bit. It hurt Hamburg a lot. We had a super field last year."

He explained his choice as a spontaneous one in these past few days and said that two days is enough to prepare for Paris mere days after saying it wasn't.

"It was a spontaneous decision to come to Hamburg. I was at home a few days after the tournament in Rome, recharged my batteries - then my team and the tournament had intensive discussions. Yesterday afternoon it was clear: I'm playing in Hamburg," said Zverev this week prior to Hamburg.

"Hamburg is a place for me that brings a lot of positive emotions out of me and brings me something I need right now: positivity and a good mood. I'm here because I love this place and it's my home. I can also really make a good use from this positivity and the positive emotions from the crowd, also for Paris."

"We're here with the whole family. All the children are here. It's going to be a nice week. I'm just going to enjoy my time in the family environment, at home, in my village where I grew up. I can play tennis here and recharge my batteries at the same time. That will do me good." "I'm here to win matches - but I'm also here to enjoy the atmosphere. The support of the fans at the Rothenbaum means a lot to me. If I reach the final here, that's exactly the emotion I want to take with me. I'll have two days to prepare for Paris - that's enough."