Can Zverev cap Munich hat-trick on event's ATP 500 debut?

As the BMW Open by Bitpanda in Munich ascends to ATP 500 status in 2025, many eyes will be on Germany’s own Alexander Zverev.

The two-time former champion has a rich history at the event, one that helped shape the early stages of his career. Having won back-to-back titles in 2017-18, Zverev returns to Munich in 2025 at a career-high No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but can he complete the hat-trick?

Ahead of the newly upgraded 2025 edition of the BMW Open by Bitpanda, ATPTour.com looks back on Zverev’s relationship with the clay-court event.

2017: Zverev's Maiden Munich Triumph 
After an impressive run to the semi-finals in 2016, Zverev arrived in Munich the following year eager to leave his mark on home soil. Competing as the third seed, Zverev saved his most dominant performance of the week for the championship match, where he defeated qualifier Guido Pella 6-4, 6-3 to triumph on German soil for the first time in his fledgling career. A first title in Munich — and first on clay — alerted fans to the then-20-year-old’s versatility and potential on the surface.

Two weeks after sealing his third career trophy in Munich, Zverev went on to claim his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome, where he battled past World No. 2 Novak Djokovic in the final. His run in the Italian capital further cemented his clay-court prowess during the early years of his pro career.

_{^{Alexander Zverev triumphs at the 2017 BMW Open in Munich. Photo: Christof Stache/Getty Images}}

2018: A Dazzling Double
By 2018, Zverev had established himself inside the Top 5 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Already a six-time tour-level champion, who debuted at the Nitto ATP Finals at the back end of a standout 2017 season, Zverev was riding high among the sport’s elite. Could the German produce a successful title defence upon return to Munich?

Entering the clay-court ATP 250 on the back of four three-set clashes en route to the Monte-Carlo semi-finals, Zverev then ended up on the losing side of a 26-point first-set tie-break in his Munich opener with Yannick Hanfmann. It proved nothing more than an extended warm-up for the defending champion, however, who responded emphatically by not dropping a set from that point on to retain the title.

In an all-German final, Zverev sunk three-time champion Philipp Kohlschreiber to successfully defend a tour-level title for the first time. Zverev built on his Munich momentum by extending his winning streak to 13 matches on the European clay, including a title at the Masters 1000 in Madrid and a run to the final in Rome, where he was defeated by Rafael Nadal.

_{^{Alexander Zverev successfully defends his title at the 2018 BMW Open in Munich. Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images}}

2025: Hat-Trick On The Cards?
Having fallen at the quarter-final stage or earlier in each of his previous five appearances in Munich, Zverev will aim to turn his fortunes around when he arrives as the top seed in 2025. As a newly upgraded ATP 500, the World No. 2 will have to fend off the star power of his fiercest rivals in the field.

American No. 3 Ben Shelton will land on the other side of the draw in Munich, where he will enter as the second seed. Another player to watch is Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, who boasts a 2-0 lead in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Zverev, having won their recent quarter-final clash in Buenos Aires this year.

Regardless of his opponents, Zverev will be able to draw on the fond memories he holds from his past title runs in Munich.