The moment Alexander Zverev’s career shifted was as raw as sports get. He was flying on court, one win away from reaching the top spot in the world rankings and chasing Grand Slam glory. Then, just like that, his season and his climb came to a painful halt. Fans and experts still wonder how different things would be if not for what happened at Roland Garros that day.
How Did Alexander Zverev’s Ankle Injury Alter His Path to World Number One?
Zverev has been one of the most consistent players on the ATP Tour in recent years. In 2022, he recaptured his best form and was closer than ever to the World No. 1 ranking. But during the French Open semifinal that year, an ankle injury forced him off the court and brought his career goals to a screeching stop. Lately, Zverev has opened up about that moment and why it was so tough for him to deal with.
On a recent episode of the “Nothing Major” podcast, host John Isner got straight to it, asking Zverev: “Would you say that match at Roland Garros is, so far in your career, your biggest career setback?”
Zverev didn’t hesitate: “Yes, and I’ll tell you why.” He went on to say:
“It’s not because I lost that match, right? Like everybody keeps saying, ‘Oh, I would have won a match.’ Well, actually, he was up a set when it happened. Of course, it was an incredible match. I felt like I was playing some of the best tennis of my life, but the thing that was so upsetting to me was like just imagine: I lose that match, right? I lose that match, it’s Rafa on Clay, at Roland Garros, millions of people lost to him there.”
Alexander Zverev’s comeback is one of the greatest injury comeback stories in recent memory. From sustaining a brutal ankle injury, tearing all his ligaments and screaming at the top of his lungs due to the pain, then two years later, he’s once again falling to his knees 1/2 pic.twitter.com/jNZp6wtfGT
— Vishal❤️ (@Fans4AlexZverev) November 3, 2024
He dug deeper into what stung the most: “But the one thing that people don’t realize, I was 45 points away from the number one spot for three months. I needed to win one match, just one match at any tour level tournament to become world number one. That’s the thing that hurt me the most, right? Because I was playing the best tennis of my life.”
Going over his results, Zverev laid it out: “In 2021, I won six titles. I won the Olympic gold medal. I won the world finals. I won two master’s events, and then 2022 started. I started off playing well as well. I made semis of Monaco, finals of Madrid, semis of Rome, semis of Roland Garros and then the ankle injury happens like I lose that match fine but I go to Halle and I make quarters of Halle, I’m world number one, right?”
To wrap up, Zverev talked about what could have been without that injury: “That’s the thing that killed me because I broke seven ligaments and shattered three bones, so there’s really not much I can do about it and even without that the way I was playing, I felt like I was in my best ever position to win a grand slam, to win Wimbledon, to win US Open, to win something big because the way I was playing.”
What Does the 2022 Roland Garros Semifinal Mean for Alexander Zverev’s Career?
On June 3, 2022, Zverev faced Rafael Nadal in a dramatic clash that went deep into a tiebreak, with Zverev controlling rallies and pushing the clay-court legend. But then disaster struck as he rolled his right ankle, tearing three lateral ligaments and fracturing bones in his foot. He had to retire while trailing 7-6, 6-6, ending a three-hour, 13-minute slugfest where he had saved set points and built a lead in the second set.
That injury was more than just a loss on the scoreboard and a drop in rankings. He went through surgery, missed Wimbledon, and watched as the group known as the Big Three’s run in the top two ended without him there. After getting back on tour, Zverev came close but finished as runner-up at 2024 Roland Garros to Carlos Alcaraz and at the 2025 Australian Open to Jannik Sinner.
Still chasing that first Grand Slam, Zverev keeps working. Nadal, his opponent that day and often a mentor, has shown support and belief in the German’s future, telling him in Mallorca that “when you’re aggressive, it’s very hard to outplay you” and that he “truly believes” Zverev will get over the hump and win a major.
