‘You think your career is over’ admits Alexander Zverev on moment of injury
Alexander Zverev has revealed that when he rolled his ankle at the French Open he believed his career could be over.
The world number two has been recovering since having surgery for the tear in his ankle ligaments.
During his rehabilitation, Zverev has admitted that he feared for his career in that French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal.
“At first, of course, you think your career is over,” Zverev told Sky Deutschland. “You can no longer move your foot, you have heard the sound of breaking. A certain fear is already there at that moment.
“It was just a bitter moment for me. The match against Rafa, I still think it could go either way.
“Then a final against Caspar Ruud: I think I [could have done] it. A Grand Slam win, number one in the world and so on and so forth.”
Zverev would have topped the ATP rankings had he clinched the title in Paris.
Moreover, he would have been the top seed at Wimbledon regardless of the result of that French Open semi-final had he been fit for the grass.
Obviously the injury was devastating for Zverev, in top form and pushing Nadal hard at the Spaniard’s favourite Slam.
But the German has a good perspective on the matter.
“You can’t choose these things,” he explained. “I mean, I got injured on the tennis court, I can live with that.
“I got injured doing something I love to do. And I tried to play one of the biggest matches against one of the biggest players in the world.”
While Zverev will be hoping to return to action for the US Open, that may be too ambitious a target, particularly given the German has himself said he would not play the event unless he felt he could win it.
Instead, the 25-year-old may well be out for the remainder of the season.
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