Fatigued Zverev ‘overachieved’ by reaching Shanghai semis

Alexander Zverev said fatigue from a packed schedule left him feeling he had “overachieved” by reaching the Shanghai Masters semi-finals, where he lost to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The defeat ended Zverev’s run in Shanghai, but he is guaranteed to finish the season as world number one.

Davidovich Fokina came back to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, recording only his second victory in eight meetings with Zverev and reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 final since 2022. Zverev said he had only one day off after the US Open and felt flat after a demanding match against Alexander Bublik; he had also carried a minor injury into the tournament. Davidovich Fokina was due to face fellow Spaniard Rafael Jodar in Sunday’s final.