“I’m a bit sick as you can hear,” is how Alexander Zverev confirmed the widespread speculations of a concerning illness before the Paris Masters. However, the German ATP star managed to recover and depicted a commendable rise amidst all odds by winning the Paris Open. Zverev’s career has been full of glory but was also impacted with serious injuries as well. As Zverev is currently making his way at the ATP Finals in Turin, he uncovered a phase of self-doubt, where he started losing faith in himself.

Alexander Zverev expressed optimism in Turin as he started his ATP Finals campaign with a solid win over Andrey Rublev. The German star won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. This was Zverev’s 67th tour victory in 2024 – which is also the most by any player this year. Zverev felt satisfied with his progress, keeping in mind the challenges he faced in 2023. “In 2023, I didn’t feel like I was competitive in big events. I was far away from winning them,” he said in an interview with the ATP Tour. “Being able to compete and make Grand Slam finals, win Masters 1000 events, that is a big satisfaction to me because there were obviously question marks if I was ever going to do that again after the injury.”

Zverev’s journey back to top form has been long and difficult as a severe ankle injury nearly derailed him. He suffered a massive blow during the 2022 French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal. The showdown lasted over three hours and was so intense that Zverev and Nadal hadn’t even completed two full sets when Zverev rolled his ankle chasing a forehand. He left the court in a wheelchair, only to return minutes later on crutches to officially concede. This injury forced him to sit out the rest of the 2022 season and he spent much of 2023 working to rebuild his strength.

Reflecting on the injury, Zverev recalled how confident he had been going into those critical matches in Paris, including a highly anticipated match against rising star Carlos Alcaraz and the eventual showdown with Nadal. “Last year during the French Open was the first time in my life where I went into matches… and I thought, ‘I can win the French Open and I’m going to win the French Open,’” he said. Now, though, Zverev feels proud of his comeback and is eager to keep pushing forward. “I’m happy where I’m standing right now. I’m getting back. I’m playing some decent tennis this week. Hopefully, this will continue,” he shared, looking forward to sustaining his strong form in Turin as he chases a third ATP Finals crown. However, injury wasn’t the only challenging aspect he had to go through.

Alexander Zverev’s health scare raises concerns about 2024 season

Alexander Zverev admitted that his health challenges have been more serious than initially thought as he ended up in the hospital due to lung inflammation. The illness has made this season tougher with the German star sharing that he even considered ending his 2024 season early. “I have an inflammation in my lung. It’s going to take about two, three months to be completely gone,” he explained, describing a difficult period in his career. This unexpected setback came just as he was rebuilding momentum on tour.

Zverev explained that he initially withdrew from the Beijing tournament because he was feeling “quite sick” and had a high fever around the time of the Laver Cup. The illness persisted afterward which even sent him to the hospital. “I ended up in hospital. I didn’t feel great and just didn’t have the energy to play. I was on antibiotics for a week,” he said. His hospital visit highlighted the seriousness of his condition and the exhaustion that followed. Zverev’s health scare added additional pressure on him during a season where he was already fighting to regain his form after previous injuries.

Though he says he’s feeling better now, Zverev accepted that his recovery is still ongoing. “Of course, the issue with my lung is not gone, it’s still there,” he admitted, noting that he still feels more fatigued than usual. However, the German ATP star remained committed to playing. “It’s either I’m going to take the whole season off now or I’m going to play the way I can play,” he said. Assured by his doctor that competing wouldn’t worsen his condition, he decided to continue his season, giving his all. “That’s why I’m here [at the Shanghai Masters], and I’m happy to give my 100 percent of what I have.” As the sickness concerns now seem to have vanished, it still remains to be seen how far he takes the run in Turin.