It is still up in the air if Alexander Zverev will be able to play at this year’s US Open, according to a member of his team.
The world No.2 hasn’t played a match since the semi-finals of the French Open where he twisted his ankle during his match against Rafael Nadal. A medical scan later revealed that he had torn multiple ligaments and Zverev shortly after underwent surgery to help repair the damage. Since then, he has been in his native Germany conducting rehabilitation.
Despite being sidelined from the Tour, the 25-year-old has announced that he will play at the Rakuten Open later this year in Tokyo. In a video message posted on the tournament’s social media account, he said ‘I’m looking forward to being back in Tokyo where I had the greatest memory that I think any athlete could have in winning the gold medal (at the Olympic Games). I look forward to playing in front of the fans.”
It is still unclear as to when Zverev will stage his comeback to the Tour. It is only a month until the start of the US Open where he reached the final in 2020. According to a spokesperson for the tennis player, a decision has not been made yet.
“Sascha is recovering well and is still hoping that he can be ready for the U.S. Open,” the spokesperson told the news agency Reuters via email. “However, it is still too early to tell if he will be able to compete there or not.”
Elaborating further, they acknowledge that a more realistic return date could be the Davis Cup in September. Germany are in Group C of the competition and will host their matches in Hamburg. They will play France, Australia and Belgium for a place in the finals later this year.
“Davis Cup in Hamburg in September seems more realistic but we keep our fingers crossed that he will be ready earlier,” they added. “Therefore, he should be able to play a few events before Tokyo.”
So far this season Zverev has achieved a win-loss record of 19-10 but is yet to win a title. Besides reaching the semi-finals of the French Open, he was also runner-up at two Tour events in Montpellier and Madrid.
