Alexander Zeverev says the injury he suffered in his Roland-Garros semi-final against Rafael Nadal is “very serious”.
Zverev was losing a set and in the middle of a competitive second frame when he turned his ankle chasing a ball and collapsed on the ground in agony.
Zverev was assisted by a coach and then taken off the track in a wheelchair. Minutes later, Philippe Chatrier returned to the field with his crutches removed, his right shoe was removed and the match was lost, unable to continue.
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After the match, Zverev posted an update on his Instagram story, saying the injury appeared to be “very serious”.
“Very difficult time for me today on the track,” he said. “Obviously a fantastic match so far. It looks like I have a very serious injury, but the medical team, the doctors are still checking it out and will keep you informed. We will let you know as soon as we know more.”
Repetitions of the Zverev incident showed that his foot clung to the clay surface before falling under his body.
Great tennis player Chris Evert suggested that a “pile of clay” could have caused Zverev’s horrible injury.
“It could have been a block of clay, who knows? Towards the corners where they don’t move as much, sometimes you can find lumps of clay just like on the grass where it’s more slippery on the curves,” he told Eurosport .
“When you heard those screams, you knew it was serious and you knew it was. My mind went through that great summer at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and whether I could play or miss them.
PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 3: Rafael Nadal of Spain sees Alexander Zverev of Germany receiving medical attention after injury to Rafael Nadal of Spain during the men’s singles semifinals on the 13th of the Open France 2022 at Roland Garros on June 03, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images) (Getty)
“What happens to Zverev is that he was doing very well, he was playing very well all this tournament, the victories he had, what happens to Alcaraz, what a great victory for him. He had chances in the first set against Rafa Rafa looked a little tired, which is understandable.
The injury comes at Zverev’s worst moment, with the German star about to rise to No. 2 in the world rankings and be the No. 1 seed at Wimbledon with Daniil Medvedev sanctioned.
The incident gave Nadal his 14th final of the French Open at Christmas, and now he has a chance to win his 22nd major in the final against Casper Ruud.
“I wish I could get to the end and do a little more history,” Zverev added.
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