Germany’s best tennis player talks about his difficult way back from injury – and makes an announcement.
The shock has long since been digested and the aftermath of the operation has healed. And now the hard work in the market town of Donaustauf is paying off. “The rehab is going according to plan,” said Alexander Zverev through the German Tennis Association. A plan that ends with a successful return to the court – possibly as number 1 in the world.
Zverev could succeed on August 15 in taking the historic step on the throne, which Boris Becker is the only German to have managed so far. Leader Daniil Medvedev is under pressure: In the coming week in Los Cabos/Mexico and especially at the ATP Masters in Montreal/Canada (from August 7th) the Russian has to score in order to stay ahead of Zverev.
The man from Hamburg had several chances this year to take the lead in the world rankings. Unlike this time, he had it in his own hands. At the Australian Open, however, Zverev surprisingly failed in the round of 16, at the French Open he twisted his ankle in the semifinals against Grand Slam record champion Rafael Nadal: the beginning of his ordeal.
“I can barely wait for it”
It’s slowly coming to an end, even if his start at the US Open (from August 29) is questionable. “I want to win every tournament I play. That’s my character. I don’t go to events just to take part,” said Zverev recently at eurosport.de. Means: Only when the training deficit after the ankle injury has been made up will he want to compete again.