Cancellation due to curfew: Zverev faces early Wimbledon exit

Cancellation due to curfew Zverev faces early Wimbledon exit 01.07.2025, 00:23

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament with a curfew. Therefore, Alexander Zverev is unable to finish his first-round match. The 28-year-old is struggling against the underdog Rinderkelch of France. If he wants to avoid elimination, he'll have to improve tomorrow.

Alexander Zverev is in a desperate situation for a place in the grass-court classic at Wimbledon and has been serving detention in his first-round match. The world number three's opening match against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech was abandoned late in the evening at 10:54 p.m. local time with the score at 6:7 (3:7), 7:6 (10:8) due to the Grand Slam tournament's curfew. The match will now be resumed on Tuesday.

The two previous matches on Centre Court on the hottest opening day in Wimbledon history were very long. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain defeated Italian Fabio Fognini after 4 hours, 37 seconds.

Zverev thus didn't begin his duel with Rinderknech until 8:53 p.m. local time. The 28-year-old earned five break points in the first set, but failed to capitalize on any of them. The strong-serving underdog Rinderknech tried to settle the points as quickly as possible, but varied his game more and more as the match progressed.

Tie-break to forget for Zverev

In the first set tiebreak, Zverev quickly found himself 4-0 down, missed a break from his opponent, and also received a fine lob. After 57 minutes, the set was lost. Both players held serve in the second set as well. Once again, the match was decided in a tiebreak – and this time, Zverev had the better nerve.

Zverev's chances of advancing beyond the round of 16 at Wimbledon for the first time and challenging for his coveted first Grand Slam title are greater than they've been in a long time. Halfway through the draw, the German number one has already seen several notable potential future opponents bow out early.

Fritz also faces the threat of being fired on Tuesday

Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev lost to Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in four sets. Zverev has lost 12 of his last 14 matches against his arch-rival Medvedev. Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini of Italy also failed. The match between American Taylor Fritz and Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was also abandoned that evening with the score at 2-2.

Unlike the other three Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon doesn't play until the early morning. The 11:00 p.m. local time curfew was introduced in 2009 when a retractable roof was installed over Centre Court. In an earlier statement, the organizers justified the late-evening end of the tennis day by citing noise protection for local residents. It also aims to ensure safe return to the court by public transport.

Before Zverev, Eva Lys, Laura Siegemund, and Jan-Lennard Struff reached the second round. Daniel Altmaier, however, was eliminated right at the start. In total, only seven German professionals are competing in the singles—the fewest in 43 years.