Airport mishaps involving luggage mix-ups aren’t something new on the block. Frequent travelers often tackle such situations but, when that happens to a player, it’s a different story altogether. Alexander Zverev was recently caught up in something similar after he flew from Rome to Argentina for the Buenos Aires Open on Sunday, February 9.

The German star is switching gears this season. Instead of taking his affairs for the Middle East swing, Sascha decided to jet for some clay court tennis. Though this move might prove beneficial for him as it would be just him prepping ahead of the French Open, Zverev, unfortunately, hit a snag after landing in the country.

According to the update on his Instagram story, the World No. 1 disclosed that his luggage didn’t arrive with him. To his surprise, his bags landed in the Maldives notably 8500+ miles away from the set destination, leaving him wondering what happened. Subsequently, the German sensation told his fans about the airport mishap and, to much hilarity, joked about the situation he’s caught up in.

A puzzled Zverev wrote: “Could anyone explain to me how on earth it is possible for me to fly from Rome to Buenos Aires but my bags instead of coming with me being send to the Maldives? I guess they need a vacation already.” For those unaware, the 27-year-old vacationed with his family not too long ago in the Maldives, before arriving for the season-opening Slam in Melbourne.

It’ll be a tricky situation for Zverev as he’ll be without his belongings for a while, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make the most of his time in Argentina in the meantime. To rid himself of the Grand Slam duck, Sascha needs to fire on all cylinders this season. He lost yet another opportunity to clinch his maiden Major title at the Australian Open after losing to defending champion Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

With a 0-3 Slam final record, debate has raged about the cause of his struggles in the title deciders. However, an ex-pro recently expressed feeling “optimistic” that he will come atop such concerns and add the missing silverware to his resume.

German ex-pro is “convinced” that Alexander Zverev has the strength to win a Grand Slam

The Australian Open finals didn’t count as German superstar Alexander Zverev’s first rodeo on the Grand Slam stage. He previously lost both his Slam final outings at the US Open in 2020 and again at the French Open last year. However, compatriot Andrea Petkovic revealed that the World No. 1 has the potential to outshine those results, given his incredible talent and laudable fighting spirit.

During a conversation with countryman Boris Becker on their podcast Becker Petkovic, the former World No. 9 offered a healthy assessment of Sascha’s Slam-winning chances. “I don’t think that Sascha’s problem is psychological, because if he had this problem, how could he have reached the second place in the world? He has everything necessary for a great triumph. I am convinced that Zverev has the mental strength for such a triumph, as well as all the shots, but the question is whether he believes in it himself.”

She continued, “He will have to solve this problem. I am optimistic and I am convinced that sooner or later he will achieve it.” Before he gets a chance to reach that stage again, Zverev needs to maintain a good form on the tour-level events.

The German is the top seed in Buenos Aires so he will be getting a bye into the opening round. He will take to the court on Wednesday, February 12 to lock horns with either Dusan Lajovic or Roberto Carballas Baena in the Round of 16.