The Wimbledon winner has just been crowned and the next tournament for the tennis elite is already underway, namely the ATP Hamburg 2024.
Alexander Zverev is also due to take part, but was struggling with knee problems during his match against Taylor Fritz, which the German lost in a five-set thriller after holding a two-set lead.
And the world-class player still has a few problems ahead of the Hamburg Open. We were at Zverev’s press conference on Saturday, where the defending Hamburg Open champion revealed some interesting information
Alexander Zverev: “If it goes on like this, I’ll be on court “
It’s not 100% certain that the German star will play on Tuesday, but considering what he said today and his obvious love for Hamburg, it seems very likely that he will be on court on Tuesday.
Zverev practiced Friday and Saturday without painkillers, so the pain is normal for now, but he is still hoping for improvement.
“The knee is still painful. I’m doing everything I can to be on court on Tuesday. Today was the first time I was able to do a proper two-hour training session. I still have a few restrictions, but I’m doing everything I can to be ready,” said Zverev.
He continued: “Now it’s all about the pain and the restrictions. When I no longer have them, I will play. There’s no question about that. I can still feel something, but I’m confident that it will get better.
Three days ago I could hardly walk. Now I can already train on the pitch. If it continues like this, then I hope I can be successful on the pitch on Tuesday. ”
Zverev raves: “Hamburg is something special for me “
Back to the place where it all began for him. Zverev loves Hamburg. He was born here and the whole city loves him, you can tell that when you walk around the city or the Rothenbaum.
And that is the main reason why everyone, including Zverev himself, assumes that he will play at the Hamburg Open despite his knee injury.
Zverev understates: “At any other tournament I wouldn’t even try to play. Hamburg is something special for me, my home. It was the start of my career. I want to celebrate many more great moments here and defend my title on the court.”
“I love Hamburg. Of course, I’m staying with everyone at my parents’ house. Most of them are arriving on Saturday. My father, Sophia and I arrived earlier. Micha and his family won’t arrive until Monday. Being together in the house is and will be a great atmosphere, and I’m generally really enjoying my time here in Hamburg.”
The big question is prioritizing the tournaments, because there is no doubt that Zverev loves this tournament – but the Olympics are coming up, and that is another tournament Zverev loves, especially since he won the gold medal in 2021 (Tokyo Olympics).
But the German doesn’t seem to see that as a problem: “There’s almost a week between Hamburg and Paris. I’ll do everything I can to be successful at both tournaments. “
