German star Alexander Zverev has advanced to the third round of the Australian Open, escaping unscathed from an injury, further highlighting that he has the green light to move forward. Last year’s finalist at Melbourne Park has begun his 2026 campaign at the fourth edition of the United Cup and will face a former World No. 8 player from Britain in the third round.
Alexander Zverev Cruises Past an Injury Scare in His Second Round of the Australian Open
The World No. 3 delivered an impressive performance in his second round at the Australian Open’s John Cain Arena against Frenchman Alexandre Müller, the former World No. 38, with a final scoreline of 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Zverev commenced his game dominantly, taking the first set, losing the second, and then taking the lead in the last two sets, subsequently securing his seat for the third round.
During his post-game on-court interview, Zverev, who took a medical timeout in the fourth set, shed light on the injury scare and said he was able to move past it with a painkiller. He mentioned, “Yeah, I took a painkiller and it was fine after that. I’m not somebody that takes a lot of medical time out.”
He continued, highlighting that the location of the pain was worrying for him, as many athletes have succumbed to such injuries, “So, I was a bit scared because it was towards the Achilles tendon and you know there’s a lot of Achilles injuries in the past couple of years on tour. So I was a bit afraid. I just wanted the physio to check it out. But yeah, I mean even after the medical timeout I was moving fine. I was playing fine and I hope tomorrow it’s going to be fine as well.”
Zverev also reflected his joy in playing on his ideal court, expressing, “This is my favorite court, actually, in Melbourne. So, the atmosphere is insane. The crowd is always very wild, and I love this atmosphere. I enjoy playing here every single time, and I hope I will play many more times here.”
Last year, he played his fourth-round match against Ugo Humbert at John Cain Arena, and in his third round, he will face Cameron Norrie, against whom he has won his last six games. The 30-year-old British talent has reached the third round after defeating Benjamin Bonzi and Emilio Nava.
