Hamburg: Olympic champion Alexander Zverev has announced that he would play the Davis Cup in his hometown Hamburg after suffering an ankle injury at the French Open which required surgery.
“I’ve already started training hard for the Davis Cup,” the 25-year-old told a news conference on Thursday. “There is no question at all in my mind that I will be at the Davis Cup.”
Zverev ruptured three ankle ligaments in the French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal on June 3. The German missed Wimbledon, but is himself surprised with the fast healing process.
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup will take place from September 13 to 18 across four cities – Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia.
The German team under captain Michael Kohlmann will play against France on September 14, Belgium on September 16 and Australia on September 18 in Hamburg.
“Of course they are strong opponents, but we also have a strong team,” Zverev said. “This will be a highlight for me this year, also a highlight for the others who will be in the team.”
The aim is to win the group and qualify for the knock-out stage in Malaga from November 22 to 27.
Whether Zverev will compete at the US Open is still doubtful.
“If it was a normal tournament, in a best-of-three format, then I could say maybe I would be ready. But a best of five as the first tournament back is difficult,” the German said.
Most tennis matches are played in a best-of-three format, which means that players need to win two sets to win the match. In Grand Slams, however, men play best-of-five sets, meaning that players need to win three sets to win the match.—dpa
