As previously feared, tennis Olympic champion Alexander Zverev tore three outer ligaments in his right ankle during his bitter French Open exit and has already had surgery.
The Hamburger announced on Tuesday evening on Instagram. This means that his participation in the Grand Slam in Wimbledon (from June 27th) is practically impossible.
“In order to return to competition as soon as possible, to ensure that all ligaments heal properly and to regain full stability in my ankle, surgery was the best choice,” said Zverev. The 25-year-old did not provide any information about possible downtime.
Zverev twisted his ankle in the semifinals of the French Open on Friday against eventual tournament winner Rafael Nadal. On Monday he had already canceled his participation in the lawn tournament in Halle/Westphalia.
“We all have our own journey in life. It’s part of mine. Next week I’ll be number 2 in the world, but this morning I had to have an operation,” Zverev wrote. He also posted a photo in which he documented optimism with a thumbs up and a short video from the hospital bed.
Another examination in Germany revealed that “all three lateral ligaments in my right ankle were torn. My rehab is starting now and I will do everything I can to come back stronger than ever!”