Alexander Zverev appears set to withdraw from the Stuttgart grass court tournament which started on Monday, after playing five sets in the French Open final he lost against Carlos Alcaraz.
"The chances that I will play are as high as going out again and winning the final. We will see," Zverev said late Sunday after missing out on a maiden grand slam title.
Zverev is the top seed in Stuttgart and organizers have said that due to a first-round bye he wouldn't have to play his first match until Thursday. He has not played at the Wimbledon tune-up since 2019.
World number four Zverev played three long five-setters in all during the Paris fortnight. He may need some rest, and time to get over the disappointment.
He is now expected to start his grass court campaign in the run-up to the July 1 Wimbledon start next week in Halle.
Fellow-German Dominik Koepfer meanwhile reached the second round whenn he saved two match points in the third-set tie-break to outlast 44th ranked Zhang Zhizhen of China 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6).
It was Kopfer's first win on grass since a third round exit at Wimbledon in 2021.
"You try to make a extra effort playing at home," said Köpfer, who next faces Lorenzo Musetti of Italy or Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.