Alexander Zverev was playing a fantastic match against Rafael Nadal in the French Open semifinal on Friday. Unfortunately, by the end of the second set, the German player rolled badly his ankle to retire in tears.
It was clear that the injury was serious. Unfortunately, with a statement on social media, Zverev confirmed that he had “torn several lateral ligaments.”
This was his statement:
“Hey guys! 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. I will be flying to Germany on Monday to make further examinations and to determine the best and quickest way for me to recover.
I want to thank everyone all over the world for the kind messages that I have received since yesterday. Your support means a lot to me right now!
And many thanks to my friends from @goodwill_private_aviation for taking such good care of me in the given circumstances.
I will try to keep you updated as much as possible on further developments.
See you next time @rolandgarros!🧡”
When Zverev will be back?
To recover from such an injury it may take anything from a few weeks to several months depending if the tear was partial or complete. If Zverev needs a complete repair his season may be over. Let’s wait for the final assessment and hope for the best.
Alexander Zverev in 2022
Currently ranked no.3 (career-high), Zverev played his last match on the 3rd of June when he had to retire when playing against world no.5 Rafael Nadal in the semifinal and the scoreline was 7-6(8) 6-6 .
Currently, during this season Zverev owns a 29-10 win-loss record. Alexander Zverev’s most significant result of this season was getting to the final in Montpellier and Madrid.
Nadal at the French Open, ranking, and results in 2022
Now the world no.5, Rafael achieved a 29-3 record in 2022. Nadal is now having a run at the French Open where he bested Jordan Thompson 6-2 6-2 6-2, Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-1 6-4, Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-3 6-2 6-4, Felix Auger Aliassime 3-6 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3, Novak Djokovic 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-64 and Alexander Zverev 7-68 6-6 ret..
Rafael Nadal will compete against the world no.8 Casper Ruud in the final. In the past, they have never played each other until now in top competitions.
Nadal has won 3 titles in 2022 in Melbourne, at the Australian Open and in Acapulco. Rafael was the finalist in Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open).
Rafael won 91 titles in his career: 24 on hard courts, 62 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 4 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal fought against each other 10 times. Their current head to head is 7-3 for Nadal. The last time they played each other, Rafael Nadal won 7-6(8) 6-6 ret. in the semifinal in Paris (French Open) on the 3rd of June 2022.