The grim memories of his ankle injury in the 2022 French Open still claw back in the mind of Alexander Zverev. The German star slipped while playing against Rafael Nadal and tore three ligaments in his right ankle as he made an emotional exit from the tournament. Two years later, injury troubles don’t seem to be leaving Zverev as he suffered a knee injury at the Wimbledon Championships. However, with the Paris Olympics that followed, Zverev decided to keep playing despite not being fully fit. However, the German star is taking cautious steps now, with the 2024 season nearing its end.
Zverev has been battling lung inflammation as well and he is still not at the peak of his health. During the Players Party ahead of the Shanghai Masters, the German star made a candid confession about the remainder of the season. Zverev revealed, “I still feel like I’m perhaps a little more tired than usual. But either I’m ending my season now – or I’m playing as well as I can.”
Despite not being 100% fit, Zverev decided to play in Shanghai, however, he isn’t taking any risk as he has been told by the doctors that his participation in the tournament won’t affect his recovery. “It’s nothing that will delay the recovery or will make it worse if I play, that’s what the doctor said, and that’s why I’m here (at the Shanghai Masters), and I’m happy to give my 100 percent of what I have,” Zverev added.
Zverev suffered from pneumonia and was hospitalized with a lung issue after Team Europe’s Laver Cup win. “I have an inflammation in my lung that’s going to take a few months, it’s going to take about two, three months to be completely gone,” he said ahead of his Shanghai Masters campaign.
Zverev missed the China Open in Beijing last month. But he is featuring in Shanghai now and he has set himself a big goal for the remainder of the season.
Alexander Zverev wants to be at his best to achieve his goal
Amid a consistent 2024 season during which he won the Rome Masters title, Zverev lies in the third spot in the ATP rankings behind Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. However, he trails the Spaniard by just 305 points and is hopeful of finishing the season in second place. While Zverev admitted that he would have to be at his best, he already rung alarm bells for Alcaraz.
The German star said, “For me personally it would be great especially to finish the year as number two in the world. Carlos is playing great tennis right now, he’s in Beijing making up points, and I know that I have to be at my best to achieve that goal.”
At the end of the US Open, Zverev was ahead of Alcaraz in the ATP rankings, but the Spaniard overtook Zverev after winning the China Open title. However, the German star can turn the tables back again with a good show at the Shanghai Masters. Zverev is already through to the third round after an emphatic win over Mattia Bellucci. Can he achieve his goal for the season, which is to finish second in the world rankings? Let us know your views in the comments below.