At Roland Garros,
Alexander Zvrerev is a regular at night sessions (it’s his third this year) and the Porte d’Auteuil round of 16. He is playing his sixth in a row there on Monday evening. Semi-finalist in 2021 and 2022, the world number 27, also had one of the worst moments of his career last year. He had fought that day an anthology fight against the master of the place Rafael Nadal. And at 7-6 (8), 6-6 and already more than three hours of play his right ankle cracked. Result: Three torn ligaments, an operation in stride and a season over. He left the Philippe-Chartrier in a wheelchair and returned to greet the crowd a few minutes later armed with crutches.
At a press conference, the German assured that the memories of his injury had especially returned during his second round match against Alex Molcan (victory in three sets at night), for his return to Philippe-Chatrier. “Yes, a little, that’s why before this game I went to the court to see him because I hadn’t been there since the accident. It was very important to me.”
After his standoff won against Frances Tiafoe in the third round in four sets (3-6, 7-6, 6-1, 7-6) on Saturday evening, he nevertheless confessed hotly, at the microphone of Mats Wilander, at the outcome of his victory: “It’s been the most difficult year of my life. I don’t play tennis for the glory or the money, I just like the competition. Getting away from it was difficult. I’m very happy to be back, it will be a great second week for me.”
His horrible injury, contracted on this same Chatrier, kept him away from the field for many months. The road to reconstruction has been long for the man who had not beaten any Top 20 player since his return to the courts in January. He had to take his troubles patiently before recovering total confidence in his mobility. The 2020 US Open finalist now considers himself free of his injury problems. “I don’t have that in mind anymore. A few weeks ago, I was still receiving signals from my foot, he said in early March, in Doha. It’s going in the right direction and I feel like I can finally play pretty freely. I look forward to the next few weeks. I hope it will gradually improve.”
By beating the 12th in the world – not a great earthling however – the Olympic champion, double winner of the Masters, recalled that he was considered to be the future world number one, a few years ago. “I am happy to be in the round of 16 and to participate in the second week of a Grand Slam tournament. I’m here to play against some of the best players in the world, and today was really the case.
In an ultra-open quarter-table, with potential opponents Nishioka or Etcheverry in the quarter-finals, Zverev acts as the favorite to reach the last four for a third time. One year later. From hell to a possible paradise.
