World No. 19 Alexander Zverev wrapped up a perfect week in his hometown Hamburg by lifting the trophy at the ATP 500 tournament for the first time in his career on Sunday.
The local hero overcame World No. 57 Laslo Djere 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 51 minutes at the Rothenbaum Tennis Complex, becoming the first German man since Michael Stich in 1993 to claim the singles title, only the second in its history.
Without dropping a set throughout the event, the 26-year-old displayed a high-quality performance all week, heading to achieve a 20th ATP tour-level career title.
During the trophy ceremony, he commented: “This title means a lot to me, winning the tournament where I was born. It’s a very emotional moment for me, as well as for my family.”
Adding: “It’s also emotional because the last year and a half I had. It wasn’t easy. I can’t describe it in words. I’m just super happy right now.”
The Hamburg European Open championship is the first he clinches since sustaining a career-threatening right ankle injury during his 2022 Roland Garros semifinal against eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
On Saturday, Zverev made it through his first final since May 2022, stealing a straight-set victory over Frenchman Arthur Fils, who stunned World No. 4 Casper Ruud at the event.
Overall, the German became the most consistent player on-court across the two sets, hitting 22 winners and converting three of his four break points opportunities.
Moreover, he won 77 percent of his first-serve points compared to Djere’s 68 percent.
A packed stadium saw the local player taking a tight opener on Center Court. Wise on return, he saved four break points, neutralizing his adversary while capitalizing on his chances to convert his first break of serve, stealing the first set 7-5.
Letting some frustration show, Djere dropped level while Zverev dominated play behind his big serve.
On his way to victory, the U.S. Open 2020 finalist would break his rival twice in the second set, taking the set 6-3 and the match in less than two hours.
Speaking about winning his first title since the Nitto ATP Finals in 2021, he asserted: “It’s almost like a first [title] again. It’s such a long time [since my previous title], 18 months, and I’m just super happy.”