"I played horrible" says Alexander Zverev on shock Japan Open defeat as ATP Finals hopes fade

Alexander Zverev commented on the tough defeat he suffered in the first round of the Japan Open against Jordan Thompson and how it could complicate his participation in the ATP Finals.

The former world No. 2 experienced his second consecutive first-round defeat during the Asian swing. Zverev fell last week in the Shanghai Open to Roman Safiullin, and this time, he faced another loss in straight sets against Thompson.

Following his match against the Australian, 'Sascha' expressed his disappointment with his performance in his last tournament of the Asian swing.

“Today I played horrible,” he said

“He played quite good, he served quite good, but it’s just a very, very bad match for me. I don’t know what to say,” world No. 10 added.

On the other hand, Thompson highlighted his attitude in approaching the match against a player of Alexander Zverev's caliber, one of the best tennis players in recent years.

“I haven’t done anywhere near as much as he has but when I get on the court with these guys, I’ve got to believe that I can beat them,” said Thompson.

“If you don’t believe it, you may as well not be out here, so I’m just really enjoying the challenge.”

Just three weeks away from the start of the ATP Finals, the German is currently in the seventh position of the Race with 3415 points and still cannot secure his spot in the tournament. The final Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy is yet to come, where the last spots could be decided.

Zverev cannot afford another early exit, as players like Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, and Hubert Hurkacz, who are currently outside the qualification zone, could potentially displace the German if they have strong results in the coming weeks.

So far, four players have already qualified: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner.