Although Alexander Zverev’s time at the Mexican Open was brief, he will not go from the beach town of Acapulco without a victory.
In a suspenseful late-night match, Alexander Zverev lost three sets to his countryman Daniel Altmaier. It comes after his Los Cabos semifinal defeat by Jordan Thompson. Thus, despite starting as the top seed in both competitions, Zverev ended the Mexican swing without taking home a championship.
However, Zverev’s career earnings surpassed $40 million as a result of his participation in the Acapulco first round, when he was assured a salary of $17,210. This accomplishment by the Germans is historic.
Adding Andy Murray, Pete Sampras, Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, and Simona Halep to the list, he is now only the eighth tennis player—male or female—to reach this milestone.
Zverev is one of just two players in the Top 10 who have not won a Grand Slam event, and he now stands sixth in the men’s all-time list of top prize money earners (the other being David Ferrer). Nonetheless, the 26-year-old should be proud of his résumé.
He finished second in the 2020 US Open and has 21 career ATP Tour victories, five of which are Masters titles. In addition, Zverev has won the ATP Finals twice. Outside of Djokovic, he is the only other double champion in the last ten years.
Zverev is one of the most-paid players this season. So far, he has $1,440,435 in his bank account (not counting his winnings from Acapulco). The United Cup was Germany’s spectacular victory, earning them hefty prize money, and the Hamburg native was the driving force behind it.
After that, Zverev played at the Australian Open, where he defeated Carlos Alcaraz, ranked second in the world, in a close match. In the semifinal, he defeated Daniil Medvedev in two sets, but ultimately lost in five. He intends to play fewer tournaments in 2024, with the Indian Wells Masters being his next event. It starts on March 6.
