"I get along very well with Dominic Thiem; we both want to find our top form again, because I still have an open account from our last Grand Slam match" - Alexander Zverev 

Alexander Zverev is recovering and rehabilitating his ankle after undergoing surgery to fix three lateral ligament tears in his right ankle. He sustained the severe injury in the course of an intense French Open semifinal against eventual champion Rafael Nadal.

Zverev, who is working on his mobility, strength and stability with the help of a dynamic exercise routine was asked if he was in touch with any players who had recently made a comeback from injury. The German told Eurosport.de that he is in touch with Dominic Thiem, who he lost to in a grueling five-setter at the 2020 US Open finals.

"I get along very well with Dominic Thiem and are always in contact. We both want to find our top form again because I still have an open account from our last Grand Slam match," Zverev disclosed.

In the 2020 US Open finals, the Austrian came back from two sets down to edge past Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(6).

The historic final was the first ever in the history of the US Open to be decided by a fifth-set tiebreak, with Thiem becoming the first player in the Open Era to emerge triumphant after having lost the first two sets.

"I will play when I feel 'I can win this tournament' - Alexander Zverev"

Alexander Zverev had to withdraw midway through the French Open SF against Rafael Nadal

Following an agonizing fall in the second set of the French Open semifinal, Alexander Zverev had to withdraw from the over three-hour encounter, with the scoreline reading 7-6 (8), 6-6.

The 25-year-old stated that he would begin playing when he felt he could win again whether or not his comeback tournament was a Grand Slam.

"I want to win every tournament I play. That's my character, I don't go to events just to take part. That's why I will play when I feel "I can win this tournament". Whether the first tournament is a Grand Slam or not is not because of the size of the event, but because of my comfort on the court. That's the most important thing for me," said the German.

Alexander Zverev remained non-committal about when he would be returning to action but raised hopes of an early comeback by revealing that his healing process was progressing positively.

"The healing process is going very positively. I make important progress every day and I look forward to the next tasks that bring me closer and closer to the tennis court. An exact date for a comeback has not yet been determined, but I work every day to ensure that it will happen as soon as possible," he asserted.

The former World No. 2 also shed light on what his extensive training routine involves and that his schedule keeps changing in order to better strengthen his ankle.

"The days are very long, you start very early and end in the evening. We do a lot of exercises, there are always new ones that are constantly being added. The foot is treated, mobility is worked out, strength and stability are rebuilt. In some cases, normal walking and running is re-learned. I do sprint exercises in the water, complete training sessions on the treadmill and bike," the former World No. 2 explained.