Zverev Says Out-of-Form Djokovic Can Become Dangerous Again 

Germany's Alexander Zverev serves the ball to Lithuania's Vilius Gaubas at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, May 11, 2025 (LaPresse via AP)
Germany's Alexander Zverev serves the ball to Lithuania's Vilius Gaubas at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, May 11, 2025 (LaPresse via AP)
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Zverev Says Out-of-Form Djokovic Can Become Dangerous Again 

Germany's Alexander Zverev serves the ball to Lithuania's Vilius Gaubas at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, May 11, 2025 (LaPresse via AP)
Germany's Alexander Zverev serves the ball to Lithuania's Vilius Gaubas at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, May 11, 2025 (LaPresse via AP)

Novak Djokovic's tennis prowess is beyond question despite a sharp dip in form during the European claycourt swing and the veteran Serb can return to his devastating best again if he wants to, world number two Alexander Zverev has said.

Djokovic turns 38 three days before the French Open, which begins on May 25, and the 24-times Grand Slam winner's preparations have been far from ideal, with opening losses at Masters tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid last month.

After skipping the ongoing Italian Open without giving a reason, Djokovic will make one final attempt to rediscover his rhythm at next week's Geneva Open after accepting a wild card and Zverev warned against writing off his friend completely.

"Maybe he didn't play up to his standard or his liking, but who does sometimes? If you're a top guy and you're not winning the tournament, you always go home a little bit upset," Zverev told reporters in Rome on Sunday.

"I believe once he finds his game, he's still one of the most dangerous players in the world."

World number six Djokovic, who is chasing his 100th tour-level title, has struggled to assert his dominance after winning three out of the four Grand Slams in 2023.

However, he stepped up his game at the Paris Olympics last year to win gold, outclassing four-times major champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final at Roland Garros.

"There's no question about his ability at all," said Zverev, who advanced to this year's Australian Open final after Djokovic retired injured midway through their clash.

"It's more whether he still wants to put in the work. That's a question to him. His tennis ability is above everyone else's."

Second seed Zverev, who beat Lithuanian qualifier Vilius Gaubas 6-4 6-0 in Rome on Sunday, meets Frenchman Arthur Fils next in the third round.



Thomas Muller Bids Farewell to Bayern Munich with Loss in Club World Cup

05 July 2025, US, Atlanta: Munich's Thomas Muller sits on the bench ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (dpa)
05 July 2025, US, Atlanta: Munich's Thomas Muller sits on the bench ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (dpa)
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Thomas Muller Bids Farewell to Bayern Munich with Loss in Club World Cup

05 July 2025, US, Atlanta: Munich's Thomas Muller sits on the bench ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (dpa)
05 July 2025, US, Atlanta: Munich's Thomas Muller sits on the bench ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (dpa)

After the final whistle to his Club World Cup, Thomas Muller waved to the Bayern Munich fans one last time.

His quarter-century with the German club is over.

The 35-year-old Muller went out with a 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals on Saturday, a bittersweet ending to a tenure filled with so much glory.

Muller came on as a substitute in the 80th minute and appeared to draw a penalty in the waning seconds of stoppage time when PSG's Nuno Mendes delivered a high challenge in the area.

But the video review showed that Mendes' foot struck the ball, just missing Muller's chin, and that finished off the PSG victory.

“I'm still fully in work mode now,” Muller said. “It doesn't feel much different from before the game when we tried, and I also tried, to just get one round further.”

He wasn't ready to reflect on his brilliant career at Bayern, which began when he joined the club as a 10-year-old in the summer of 2000.

“In the end, maybe we deserved more,” Muller said. “But in football when you have these tight matches, it's sometimes a coin flip. And, yes, we lost it.”

Muller made more appearances than any other player at Bayern, with more than 200 goals scored and more than 200 set up for others. He led the club to a record 13 Bundesliga titles, going out with one last championship this past season.

But Bayern announced in April that it would not extend his hefty contract for another season.

“Of course, I am aware that this was my last game, and I will see what goes through my head in the coming days,” Muller said.

He hasn't revealed his future plans, though there have been reports linking him to a possible move to US-based Major League Soccer.

“At the moment, I'm not in the mood to share my deeper thoughts about my career,” Muller said. “We lost a big fight, a very important game for us.”