Alexander Zverev shares update after suffering "several torn ligaments" at Roland Garros

After suffering a gruesome ankle injury during his Roland Garros semifinal, Alexander Zverev revealed in a social media post that he has torn “several lateral ligaments” in his right foot and is en route to Germany for treatment.

The world No. 3 had been locked into a marathon battle on Court Philippe-Chatrier against Rafael Nadal on Friday, with not even two sets completed across three absorbing hours. Having taken them into a second tiebreak, Zverev was running after a forehand when he went over on his ankle – his agonized cries making it immediately obvious that the injury was severe. He was indeed unable to continue, as Nadal advanced to the Roland Garros final with a 7-6(8), 6-6 scoreline after Zverev was taken off the court in a wheelchair.

While the full extent of the damage is not yet clear, Zverev shared an early update with more details following examinations in France:

“Based on the first medical checks, it looks like I have torn several lateral ligaments in my right foot,” he wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself on crutches and wearing a walking brace on said foot.

“I will be flying to Germany on Monday to make further examinations and to determine the best and quickest way for me to recover.”

Although Zverev does feature as the No. 2 seed in the Wimbledon men’s singles entry list – which was unveiled yesterday before the semifinal took place – it seems highly unlikely that he’ll be recovered in time for the grass-court season.

The German, who was looking for his first title of the year in Paris after a strong clay-court swing that included an appearance in the Mutua Madrid Open final, says he will now focus on recovery with more updates about his condition still to come.

“I want to thank everyone all over the world for the kind messages that I have received since yesterday,” he added. “Your support means a lot to me right now!

“I will try to keep you updated as much as possible on further developments.”