Zverev, Miami champ Mensik on Munich collision course

Alexander Zverev will aim to rediscover his best form on home soil at the 2025 BMW Open by Bitpanda, but he will have to navigate a tough path if he wants to earn his record-equalling third Munich title.

The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings will take on Hong Kong champion and Rio de Janeiro finalist Alexandre Muller in his opening match at the newly upgraded clay-court ATP 500. Zverev's fellow German Daniel Altmaier or a qualifer/lucky loser awaits the winner of that clash, while Miami champion Jakub Mensik is a potential quarter-final opponent.

The #NextGenATP Czech Mensik will play his first match since becoming an ATP Tour champion against home wild card Yannick Hanfmann. Mensik, who is seeded sixth for his Munich debut, will compete at a career-high World No. 23.

The man whose record title tally Zverev is trying to equal, Philipp Kohlschreiber, is back in Munich as the coach of home prospect Justin Engel. The 17-year-old Engel became the first player born in 2007 or later to win an ATP Tour match last October in Almaty, and he will debut as a wild card at his home tournament against Fabian Marozsan.

A fourth Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between Denis Shapovalov and Gael Monfils is among the other first-round matches to watch in the top half of the draw, while in the bottom half second seed Ben Shelton will begin his campaign against a qualifier or lucky loser.

Third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime opens against Mariano Navone in Bavaria, where he is chasing his Tour-leading third trophy of the season. The Canadian’s potential last-eight opponents include defending champion Jan-Lennard Struff, who faces fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo in the first round.

Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect the withdrawal of Alejandro Tabilo from the BMW Open by Bitpanda.