Dominant Performance: Alexander Zverev Advances to the Second Round of the Mexico Open

Thu, 26 Feb 2026, 03:25 WIB | By Basuki Eka Purnama | Source: MEDIA_INDONESIA | Sports

Top seed Alexander Zverev made his return to competitive tennis with an impressive performance at the 2026 Mexico Open. The German successfully defeated Corentin Moutet with scores of 6-2 and 6-4 on Wednesday (February 25).

This match marked Zverev’s first appearance after being eliminated in the semifinals of the 2026 Australian Open by Carlos Alcaraz.

Despite his absence from competition, Zverev demonstrated excellent form, not conceding a single break point throughout the match. He recorded a first serve percentage of 79%.

“Corentin can be a difficult opponent, especially if you haven’t played a match in a while, like me. So, I’m very happy with this performance, and I’m looking forward to what happens next,” Zverev said after the match.

This victory brings Zverev’s total wins in Acapulco to 15, equaling Rafael Nadal’s record (15-2) for the most wins in the tournament since it switched to a hard court in 2014.

In addition, Zverev now has 117 wins at the ATP 500 level, placing him second behind Nadal (121 wins).

Meanwhile, an upset occurred on another court when Casper Ruud was eliminated early. Ruud was defeated by Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing in two close sets, 7-6 (2) and 7-6 (1).

For Wu, this is his third victory over a player ranked in the top 20 in the world. Although he was pressured by Ruud’s rally strategy, Wu managed to remain calm and aggressive.

“I think I stayed calm every time he put me under a lot of pressure. Of course, Casper is one of the best players on tour when it comes to playing rallies, and I really had to stay patient and also aggressive,” said Wu.

In addition to these matches, attention was also focused on veteran player Gael Monfils. Returning to Acapulco after 17 years, Monfils advanced to the next round after defeating Damir Dzumhur 6-4 and 7-6(5).

This victory makes the 39-year-old the second-oldest match winner in tournament history, as well as the oldest French player to win a tour-level match in the Open era.

Meanwhile, Frances Tiafoe also achieved a positive result. The eighth seed successfully defeated Nuno Borges 6-4 and 6-4.

This victory is very meaningful for Tiafoe, as it is his first win over a Top 50 player since last August in Cincinnati.

Tiafoe now has a perfect 5-0 record this season for first-round matches on hard courts. (Ant/Z-1)

Janice Tjen, who was the sixth seed, was forced to concede in straight sets with scores of 4-6 and 3-6 to Camila Osorio in the first round of the Merida Open.

Playing as a wild card in Dubai, Janice Tjen managed to reach the WTA 1000 quarterfinals for the first time.

Public interest in racquet sports in Bandung has continued to increase in recent years.

Jakub Mensik, who is now 20 years old, confidently defeated Jannik Sinner with scores of 7-6 (3), 2-6, and 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

Carlos Alcaraz secured a place in the semifinals of the Qatar Open after coming back from behind to defeat Karen Khachanov in three sets 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, and 6-3.

Janice Tjen, who was the sixth seed, was forced to concede in straight sets with scores of 4-6 and 3-6 to Camila Osorio in the first round of the Merida Open.

Playing as a wild card in Dubai, Janice Tjen managed to reach the WTA 1000 quarterfinals for the first time.

Jakub Mensik, who is now 20 years old, confidently defeated Jannik Sinner with scores of 7-6 (3), 2-6, and 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

Carlos Alcaraz secured a place in the semifinals of the Qatar Open after coming back from behind to defeat Karen Khachanov in three sets 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, and 6-3.

This victory, which lasted 85 minutes, extended Jannik Sinner’s impressive record to 50 consecutive wins against players outside the top 50 in the world.

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