Probably torn several ligaments
Zverev’s initial diagnosis makes Wimbledon impossible
6/4/2022, 6:39 p.m
Even the sight of the screaming Alexander Zverev and the view of the slow-motion repeat suggest something bad. Now the best German tennis player is announcing what he learned from the doctors after his ankle twisted in the semifinals of the French Open. Several ligaments are said to have torn.
Shortly before leaving Paris, Alexander Zverev was at least able to smile a little again. With a splint on his right foot and crutches, the tennis Olympic champion stood in front of an airplane on Saturday. Via Instagram he gave a first update on his injury, which he suffered on Friday in the semifinals of the French Open against Rafael Nadal.
“After the first medical examinations, it looks like I tore several side ligaments in my right foot,” said Zverev. Zverev wrote that he would fly to Germany on Monday for further examinations and clarify the best way to return quickly. In Germany, it should be clarified whether the ankle was also affected in addition to the ligaments.
How long Zverev has to pause is still unclear. However, a start at the lawn classic in Wimbledon, which begins on June 27, seems impossible. In a video message on Saturday night, Zverev had already announced that he assumed he had suffered a “very serious injury”.
“It was a fantastic match”
The scenes on the Philippe Chatrier court had already suggested something bad on Friday. With a pained face, Zverev lay on the ground, with tears in his eyes, he was wheeled off the pitch. The dream of the second Grand Slam final of his career and the chance of winning the first title in one of the four most important tournaments had burst in a brutal way. With a score of 6: 7 (8:10), 6: 6 from his point of view, it was suddenly over after more than three hours of play in the semifinals against Rafael Nadal.
After the first aid in the catacombs of the center court, Zverev left the facility in the Bois de Boulogne with his team around father Alexander Senior and trainer Sergi Bruguera. “It was a very difficult moment for me on the pitch,” Zverev said later in the video. “It was a fantastic match until what happened happened.”
Zverev’s girlfriend Sophia Thomalla, who was not in Paris, was shocked by his injury. “My heart shattered into a thousand pieces when I saw the accident,” wrote Thomalla on Instagram on Saturday morning. “Sport can be so incredibly cruel.” The competition also expressed their sympathy for the native of Hamburg. “Get well again quickly,” wrote world number one Novak Djokovic on Instagram, for example.
“Life is much more important than all titles”
Zverev’s semi-final opponent Nadal also felt for Zverev. “I hope he’s not injured that badly and that nothing is broken,” said Nadal, who had imagined his return to the Roland Garros final quite differently. The Spaniard was celebrated by the spectators on his 36th birthday, but he didn’t really want to be happy after Zverev’s task.
“I know how hard he’s fighting to win a Grand Slam tournament. I’m sure he’ll win not just one, but several,” said the Spaniard about Zverev. In the final on Sunday (3 p.m. / Eurosport), Nadal meets the Norwegian Casper Ruud, who won against the Croatian Marin Cilic in four sets.
Nadal knows about injuries and has been struggling with a chronic foot injury for a long time. The problems affect him so much that he would even trade another French Open title for an end to the pain. “I would prefer to lose the final on Sunday and get a new foot for it,” said Nadal. “I would be happy to live with a new foot. Winning is wonderful, but life is much more important than any title.”