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Alexander Zverev participated in a blind ranking challenge featuring legendary Brazilian football players while competing at the Rio Open. As the world No. 2, he had the opportunity to rank five illustrious World Cup champions from Brazil, including icons like Pelé, Ronaldinho, and Neymar Jr.
This event is especially important for Zverev, as he is participating in the ATP 500 tournament as part of his first-ever Golden Swing tour in the South American continent
The three-time Grand Slam finalist had an unexpected early exit in the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open last week, losing to Francisco Cerúndolo. However, this week, he seems to have regained his form on clay courts, getting straight-set victories over Bu Yunchaokete and Alexander Shevchenko. In the quarterfinals, he will compete against Argentine Francisco Comesaña who appears to be in form this season.
Alexander Zverev ranked the Brazilian football legends
In the blind ranking game, Zverev started by placing the phenomenon Ronaldo Nazario in second place, believing he should honour the greatest legend with the top spot. He ranked Ronaldinho in third, followed by the prince of Brazilian football, Neymar Junior, in fourth. Roberto Carlos was positioned fifth, and ultimately, he chose three-time World Cup winner Pele as his number one.
As the 2025 edition of Ronald Garros approaches, Zverev is actively gearing up for another shot at French Open success, with his time on the clay courts in South America serving as crucial preparation.
“It’s one of the reasons I’m here. My main focuses are the Grand Slams and I want to compete for those,” Zverev said at the start of Rio Open. “Roland Garros is always kind of marked on my calendar, and a little bit because I feel like I have great chances there. Hopefully I can prove it this year," Zverev added.
He has consistently shown that he belongs to the League of French Open winners, reaching at least the semi-finals in each of his last four appearances.