"All 3 of the lateral ligaments in my right ankle were torn, I had to undergo surgery" - Alexander Zverev gives an update on his injury

Last Tuesday, World No. 3 Alexander Zverev beat one of the favorites to win the 2022 French Open, Carlos Alcaraz, in the quarterfinals and found himself just two wins away from lifting his first Grand Slam title. Had the German gone all the way, he would have become World No. 1 at the end of the tournament.

Zverev was in the middle of what many believed to be the match of his life against eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, when he suffered a gruesome injury to his right ankle. The 25-year-old was taken off the court in a wheelchair before he returned on crutches to officially retire from the match. At the time of the incident, Nadal was leading 7-6(8), 6-6 after over three hours of play.

On Tuesday, Zverev took to Instagram to give an update on his ankle injury. The German posted a photograph from his hospital bed and confirmed that all three of the lateral ligaments in his right ankle were torn. He also explained that surgery was the only viable course of action.

"We all have our own journey in life. This is part of mine. This morning, I had to undergo surgery. After further examination, we received confirmation that all three of the lateral ligaments in my right ankle were torn. To return to competition as quickly as possible, surgery was the best choice. My rehab starts now and I’ll do everything to come back stronger than ever! I would like to thank everyone for supporting me during such a difficult time," Zverev wrote.

Eager to make a comeback as soon as possible, Zverev stated in his video that he was already missing tennis and the fans.

"Hey guys. My surgery, hopefully, went well. I will see you guys on the court soon. I'm looking forward to being back. I miss tennis already, I miss the fans already. We'll see how long it'll take me, but I'm excited about it," said Zverev.

Alexander Zverev will reach a new career-high ranking of No. 2 next week

Alexander Zverev beat Carlos Alcaraz in the 2022 French Open quarterfinals to register his first Grand Slam win against a top-10 player.

Alexander Zverev's brother Mischa Zverev, meanwhile, has confirmed that the Olympic gold medalist will miss this year's Wimbledon.

Nevertheless, with last year's French Open points dropping on 13 June, the German will climb to a career-high ranking of No. 2 ahead of the grasscourt Major.

Russia's Daniil Medvedev will replace Novak Djokovic as the top-ranked player in the world. The Serb and Rafael Nadal will be placed in third and fourth positions, respectively.