After a sickening fall that dashed his Grand Slam hopes at Roland Garros, World No. 3 Alexander Zverev underwent successful surgery on his right ankle on Wednesday morning.

The German sustained ligament damage at 6-6 in the second set of his semi-final battle with Rafael Nadal at the clay-court Grand Slam last Friday. Zverev was taken off court in a wheelchair after three hours, 13 minutes of an epic encounter, returning on crutches a few minutes later to confirm his retirement from the match.

The injury ends Zverev’s strong push to claim the No. 1 spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time. He did not provide a timeline on his return to the Tour, but he is almost certain to miss Wimbledon, which begins 27 June.

“We all have our own journey in life. This is part of mine,” wrote Zverev via Instagram. “Next week I’ll reach a career-high ranking of number 2 in the world, but this morning I had to undergo surgery.

“After further examination in Germany, we received confirmation that all three of the lateral ligaments in my right ankle were torn. To return to competition as quickly as possible, to ensure all the ligaments heal properly, and to reclaim full stability in my ankle, surgery was the best choice. My rehab starts now and I’ll do everything to come back stronger than ever!”

Zverev is set to rise to a career-high No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings next Monday, when ranking points from the 2021 edition of Roland Garros drop. The 25-year-old has lifted 19 tour-level trophies, a tally that includes five ATP Masters 1000 titles and two Nitto ATP Finals crowns.

Although he is yet to win an ATP Tour title in 2022, the German owns a 29-10 winning record for the season. He has reached finals in Montpellier and Madrid, and was a semi-finalist in Monte Carlo and Rome, as well as at Roland Garros.

Zverev thanked fans who had expressed support after his injury. “I am continuing to receive so many messages and would like to thank everyone once again for supporting me during such a difficult time,” he wrote.

Source Tennis – ATP World Tour