“I’m grateful for it!” Alexander Zverev reveals why his ‘brutal’ injury against Rafael Nadal at the French Open was ‘worth it’

Alexander Zverev admits that his injury made him realize the value of the good times.

“I’m grateful for it!” Alexander Zverev reveals why his ‘brutal’ injury against Rafael Nadal at the French Open was ‘worth it’

Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal (Image via: Twitter/@TheTennisLetter)

Former World No. 2 Alexander Zverev admitted that his heartbreaking injury in his semi-final match against Rafael Nadal was a blessing in disguise. At the 2022 French Open, Zverev met with a brutal ankle injury, cutting short his glorious campaign at the event. However, the German has admitted that this unfortunate incident proved to be something he was grateful for.

Zverev was having a magnificent couple of years in the 2021–22 seasons. Starting with an Olympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, his game was at its absolute peak. He finished off his 2021 season with a title at the season-ending ATP Finals. 

Entering the 2022 season, he showed the audience that he was nowhere near stopping. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2 in the 2022 season. However, all of this came to an end at the 2022 French Open when he was forced to retire from the semi-final match against Rafael Nadal following a brutal ankle injury.

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Since this injury, his game has not been the same. However, Zverev chose to take this incident in a positive light. 

After an injury like that, you really appreciate the hard days. You enjoy being on the court. Most players realize this once they stop playing tennis because they have not experienced this major injury.I realized it earlier, & I'm grateful for it, but I want to get back to where I was. I didn't want this injury to happen, obviously, but it made me grow, it made me realize what tennis really means.
Zverev said at a press conference in Vienna

The German revealed that this experience was something that he was grateful for. However, he also admitted that, while he was grateful for this experience, he was eager to get back to the level he was at before the injury. While the World No. 10 player revealed that he did not want the injury to happen, he also said that it was an experience that helped him grow as a player. He admitted: 

If I get back to this level, if I win Grand Slams and become World No.1, maybe I will look back and say that it was all worth it.

Alexander Zverev to face Sebastian Ofner in the first round of the Vienna Open

Germany’s Alexander Zverev is said to face Sebastian Ofner in the first round of the Vienna Open. Following his final loss at the Japan Open, Zverev will once again start with a fresh slate in Vienna.

Alexander Zverev(L) and Sebastian Ofner(R) (Image via Sky Sports and tennisnet.com)

Zverev’s last campaign on the court was in Tokyo, where he lost in the first round of the event despite being the third seed. There, he was defeated in straight sets by Jordan Thompson. However, this did not seem to stop the German, for he will once again fight for a title, this time in Vienna.

Ofner, on the other hand, suffered a second-round loss at the same tournament. Ranked 44th in the world, Ofner will have to bring his best game if he hopes to defeat Zverev in the tournament.

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