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Fatigued Zverev 'overachieved' by reaching Shanghai semis

Alexander Zverev’s historic season took a step back in the Shanghai Masters semifinals, where fatigue from a grueling schedule ultimately proved too much for the German star. Despite battling injury and exhaustion after back-to-back Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and the US Open—followed by the Laver Cup and Beijing Masters—Zverev reached the last four before falling to Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a hard-fought three-set match.

The 29-year-old, who is set to finish the year as world No. 1, acknowledged his physical limits, calling his semifinal run an ‘overachievement’ given the relentless pace of his tournament schedule.

His only day of rest between the US Open and Shanghai left him drained, and while he dominated early rounds—including a dominant quarterfinal win over Alex de Minaur—his form dipped sharply after a grueling third-set tiebreak against Alexander Bublik. Fokina, seeded 25th, capitalized on Zverev’s struggles, winning their second career meeting and advancing to his first ATP Masters 1000 final since 2022, where he’ll face Rafael Jodar on Sunday.

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