Suddenly pain
Alexander Zverev tortures himself to victory
04.10.2025 – 3:25 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Alexander Zverev won at the start of the master’s master in Shanghai. But the final phase of the match gives cause for concern.
Despite a frightened second shortly before the end, Alexander Zverev tortured himself in the third round of Shanghai’s Tennis Masters tournament. Against the Frenchman Valentin Royer, the 28-year-old won heat 6: 4, 6: 4, but had to take medical help in his last service game. The Hamburg suddenly felt violent pain on a toe and limp to the bank.
After a short consultation with a physiotherapist, Zverev was able to finish the match. After 1:38 hours, he converted his first match ball and now meets the Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, against whom he was sensational in the first round of Wimbledon. “I’m not happy that it ended in the end, but overall I am completely satisfied,” said the German and said: “No idea whether I’m really healthy this year. It’s really a fight.”
Zverev started the tournament in Shanghai and had against the world ranking 76 at the beginning of the game. Complete a break directly. As a result, the Olympic champion showed a mixed game and benefited from many mistakes from his opponent. In the second set, Zverev fended off several break chances before taking the royer again and ending the game.
Zverev is physically struck. For months he has been fighting back problems, which were also clearly noticeable at the quarter-final in Beijing. Before the tournament started, he said: “It is difficult to keep it under control. I do my best.” The surcharge and rotations in particular are painful. After his end at the US Open, he had hardly trained and instead had back syringes administered. Nevertheless, Zverev took part in the Laver Cup – a show tournament with players from Europe and the USA.
It seemed all the more surprising when the world ranking third before his first match in Shanghai criticized the full tournament calendar again. “Our schedule, our schedule is just too full, that’s a problem,” said Zverev. In mid-October, he wants to compete in Saudi Arabia at the “Six Kings Slam”-also a shewevent.
The tournament has already ended for Daniel Altmaier. The 27-year-old from Kempen had to give up the Italian defending champion Jannik Sinner 3: 6, 3: 6. Altmaier showed a committed performance, but Sinner was never seriously jeopardized. The game lasted 98 minutes.