Alexander Zverev believes that he can be fit for the Summer Games in Paris despite his knee injury. However, he may not be fit enough to perform at home.
Given his knee injury, it is unlikely that Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev will compete in his hometown of Hamburg in preparation for the Summer Games in Paris. The ATP tournament at the Rothenbaum will take place from July 13 to 21.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to wait and see. I’d have to play Hamburg in eight days,” said Zverev after his round of 16 exit at Wimbledon. He has an injury that can go away within a week, or usually within two to three weeks, said Zverev. “It’s something very painful, but it’s nothing dangerous. And when the pain goes away, it goes away.”
After his five-set defeat to the American world number 12 Taylor Fritz, Zverev reported that he had suffered “a bone edema and a strain in the capsule” in his knee. There was even talk that he would not compete in the round of 16.
The world number four sustained the injury in the previous round on Saturday against Briton Cameron Norrie. With his elimination, the French Open finalist is now still waiting for his first Wimbledon quarter-final and his first Grand Slam title.
Olympics on sand instead of grass
He said he played his round of 16 match on Monday with painkillers. However, he did not want to take them “in a long-term way,” the 27-year-old said when asked about his start in Hamburg: “I have to see how it develops.”
For the Olympic Games in Paris, Zverev will have to switch back from grass tennis to clay court tennis. The Olympic tennis competition will be held from July 27 to August 4 at the Stade Roland Garros, where the French Open is also held every year.
He wants to play in Paris and win, said Zverev. Three weeks is “more than enough time,” explained the world number four. With a laugh, he also explained that he wants to be the German flag bearer at the Olympics.
Zverev won the gold medal in singles at the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo. He is scheduled to compete in singles and mixed doubles in Paris alongside Laura Siegemund.
Source: Stern
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