Alex Zverev Says Scans of Foot Injury Revealed Torn Ligaments Ahead of Wimbledon

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Alexander Zverev said initial
evaluation of the injury that forced him to withdraw from Friday’s
French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal revealed multiple torn
ligaments in his foot.

“I am now on my way back home. Based
on the first medical checks, it looks like I have torn several
lateral ligaments in my right foot,” Zverev wrote Saturday on
Instagram. “I will be flying to Germany on Monday to make further
examinations and to determine the best and quickest way for me to
recover.”

The tournament’s No. 3 seed was giving
Nadal, a 13-time French Open champion, everything he could handle
through two sets. The 25-year-old German lost a first set tiebreak 10-8 and had forced
another tiebreaker in the second set when the injury occurred.

Zverev dropped to the court after
appearing to roll over on his ankle and immediately screamed in agony. He was taken off the court
in a wheelchair and returned a short time later on crutches to confirm he needed to
retire from the match:

It was a disappointing end to the
season’s second Grand Slam for Zverev, who continues to seek
his first major title. He did capture a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo
Olympics last summer for his most prominent championship to date.

Now the question is whether he will
miss Wimbledon, which is scheduled to get underway June 27. He didn’t provide a timetable for his return.

“I will try to keep you updated as
much as possible on further developments,” Zverev wrote.

While the third-ranked player in the
ATP Tour rankings has reached at least the semifinals of the other
three majors, he’s never advanced beyond the fourth round on the
grass courts of the All England Club.

He’s appeared at every Grand Slam event since making his debut in 2014 US Open qualifying.

If further tests confirm a more
extended absence, the remaining key dates on the 2022 tennis schedule
are the U.S. Open on Aug. 22, Paris Masters on Oct. 28 and ATP
Finals on Nov. 12.

Zverev is a two-time champion of the Tour
Finals, winning the season-ending tournament in 2018 and 2021.