'Happy With The Way...': Alexander Zverev Pleased With Fightback After Slow Start At Australian Open

Last Updated:January 18, 2026, 12:50 IST

Alexander Zverev overcomes Gabriel Diallo at the 2026 Australian Open, advancing to round two at Melbourne Park.

Alexander Zverev is eyeing a maiden Grand Slam title (Picture credit: AP)

2025 Australian Open finalist Alexander Zverev has said that Gabriel Diallo is a very powerful player and did manage to put him in a spot in his first match at the 2026 edition of the tournament, adding that he is still happy with the way he bounced back in the match.

Zverev, who lost the final in three sets to Jannik Sinner last year, ground past Diallo 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

The victory over Diallo sends Zverev into the second round at Melbourne Park for the 10th successive year, as he aims to challenge the dominance of Sinner and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, who have claimed the last eight Grand Slam titles between them.

“He (Diallo) is a great player. Very young, very talented, very powerful. In the beginning, I wasn’t playing well; I was giving him too many chances, I was too defensive," Zverev said after his match.

“But happy with the way I played the second, third and fourth, because I thought that was quite a high level for me. It is a positive for sure. Because you have been tested and you know where you are and you know where your level is at, especially in difficult moments," Zverev added.

The German star was broken early and slumped 4-1 behind in the opening set, struggling with Diallo’s booming serve.

The Canadian star went 40-0 up on his own serve with an opportunity to take a 5-2 lead, but Zverev dug deep to haul himself back to 4-4.

He fended off a set point at 4-5, sending the first set to a tiebreak dominated by Diallo. At the changeover, Zverev regrouped and came out, racing to a 4-0 lead with a double break to take the second set in just 31 minutes, turning up the pressure.

Zverev scored a crucial break in the seventh game of set three when Diallo fluffed a forehand from the baseline and took control as his opponent’s error count increased.

News sports tennis 'Happy With The Way...': Alexander Zverev Pleased With Fightback After Slow Start At Australian Open

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