Italian Open: ‘Nightmare’ Stuff for Alexander Zverev Fans as Injury Scare Reminisce Horrendous French Open Fall

As Alexander Zverev faced a tumble in the Italian Open quarterfinal match, our collective breath was held in suspense. But the World No. 5 prevailed, as he emerged victorious in the match. However, the stakes were high, as it reminded us of a similar Zverev injury at Roland Garros. And fans got a glimpse of the “nightmare” that was on the verge of becoming a reality.

Alexander Zverev has successfully reached his 18th Masters semifinal this year. But before defeating Taylor Fritz with a score of 6-4, 6-3, the 27-year-old player ignited a moment of concern. This happened during the third game on the center court when he accidentally fell on the clay after hitting a backhand return. 

The situation got worse as he landed on his front. As a result, he cut his left wrist and a finger. And very soon, the game halted as immediate medical treatment was required. He was taken to the physio before he came back and continued the match.

Zverev was able to dust himself off and finish the match within 90 minutes! Without facing a single break point, he was able to consistently fire 20 winners with six aces. Visibly happy after the match, the German tennis pro confessed, “Taylor has been one of the best players on clay this year. To have a win like that is great for me, especially after the fall.” 

Zverev continued, “I still have a little bit of pain, so once the adrenaline settles I’m going to check out tomorrow what it is. But definitely happy with the win.” Although he bounced back from the injury, many fans were reminded of a similar situation that occurred during the French Open of 2022. 

While defeating the King of Clay, Zverev faced an ankle injury. And that forced him to stay away from tennis for the rest of that season. Therefore, when fans saw him vulnerable on the ground on Wednesday, it was hard not to have flashbacks of the 2022 Roland Garros semifinal match.

Fans react to Alexander Zverev’s injury on clay

The reactions after Alexander Zverev’s quarterfinal match were a mix of concern and admiration. The incident, though not a serious one, was enough to send shivers down the spines of fans. One fan tweeted, “I was so scared, then relieved. But I don’t love clay season”. As the fan pointed out, clay has not been kind to Zverev. It was during the second tiebreaker match of the French Open that Zverev stumbled to the ground. With the red clay all over his black sleeveless top, he held his ankle in his hands in agony. 

Another fan, astonished at the fact that the incident repeated again, wrote on X, “WHAT DO YOU MEEEAAAAN MAN THIS CANT KEEP HEPPENING NOW HIS HAND?”. Although last time it was not his hand but his ankle that had the blow. After the match, Zverev himself admitted the exact moment he knew that the situation was dire. “I knew immediately that I was done because my ankle was basically three times the size it normally is.”

Another fan emphasized how it is the “stuff of nightmares” and said, “Nooooooo! I can’t handle that.” It was, indeed, a nightmare. The former World No. 2’s injury kept him away from tennis for the rest of that season. But he has always been hopeful that it is on clay where he can find his own form back again. He previously said, “I am quite sure that I will find my form.”

Another fan simply wrote how this is giving “Roland Garros flashbacks.” And indeed so. The last time he fell to the ground in excruciating pain, he had to even go through surgery to repair his ligaments. However, when he came back to the same surface last year, he admitted, “ I’m not thinking about what happened last year.”

Another fan wrote about the rough quality of clay. “Completely unsafe and inconsistent surface. It’s like a relic that needs to be retired.” However, for Alexander Zverev, playing on clay, especially at the French Open, is his favorite. “I love to play on clay…,” he said last year.

However, as he proceeds through the tournament, we all hope Alexander Zverev comes back stronger and better in his semifinal clash against Alejandro Tabilo.