French Open: Alexander Zverev Says Suffered “Very Serious Injury” During Semi-Final vs Rafael Nadal

Alexander Zverev said he suffered a “very serious injury” when he damaged his ankle and was forced to retire from his French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal on Friday. “It looks like a very serious injury but the medical team are still checking it and I will keep you updated,” the German world number three said in a video message released by Roland Garros.

Nadal was 7-6 (10/8), 6-6 ahead when Zverev injured his right ankle and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair before retiring from the match.

“It was a very difficult moment on the court. It looks like a very serious injury but the medical team are still checking it and I will keep you updated,” said Zverev.

“But congratulations to Rafa, it’s an amazing achievement to be in the final for the 14th time.

“I hope he goes all the way and makes more history.”

Until the dramatic end of the match, Zverev had been pushing Nadal all the way.

In a rollercoaster, 91-minute first set, Zverev broke in the opening game before Nadal levelled at 4-4.

The Spaniard, dripping with sweat under the closed roof, saw three set points come and go in the 10th game as the German’s all-or-nothing hitting kept him in the match.

Nadal, celebrating his 36th birthday Friday, then saved four set points in a knife-edge tiebreak, one of them off a spectacular running crosscourt forehand.

A blistering forehand pass gave him the opener on a sixth set point.

Zverev, playing in the semi-finals at Roland Garros for the second successive year, hit 25 winners and 26 unforced errors.

The second set was punctuated by eight breaks of serve. When Nadal broke for 2-1, he did so on the back of an exhausting 44-shot rally.

Nadal becomes the second oldest man to make the final in Paris after 37-year-old Bill Tilden who was runner-up in 1930.

Victory saw Nadal, who knocked out world number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals, take his record at the French Open to 111 wins and just three losses.

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If he wins on Sunday, he would be the tournament’s oldest champion, eclipsing 34-year-old compatriot Andres Gimeno who took the title in 1972.

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