"I'm at a stage now where I'm not thinking about the injury": Zverev attempts to close curtain on Roland Garros injury nightmare

Alexander Zverev is in the Roland Garros (French Open) semi-final and he's not thinking about what happened last year and the injury that left him unable to play for months.

Roland Garros was Zverev's last event last year as the German opted for a more conservative approach to strengthening the ankle properly before trying to play tennis. It proved the right decision with the early struggles this year which saw him unable to play his best for a really long time. Things are finally licking for him in Paris, where he injured himself last year and it seems very fitting.

After booking the semi-final, Zverev reflected on the injury:

"I couldn't play for the first seven months of my injury. Then for the next three, four months, I was still in pain, so I wasn't pain-free. I wasn't able to move the way I wanted to. But, I mean, sometimes it's also just reminding yourself of who you were and what kind of matches you have won in the past. I think that is important sometimes as well."

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Not thinking about it

Zverev is now back to feeling confident on the court and winning matches. He's not even thinking about last year or the injury which is a good sign. There were some nerves around it earlier in the event, especially upon his return to Chatrier:

"But, again, I think I'm at a stage now where I'm not thinking about the injury so much anymore. I'm not thinking about what happened. I'm just happy to be back where I was last year, and I have another chance. Hopefully, I can take it."

It was a gradual process that took time but he's glad to be there:

"I was not able to practice normally. I was not able to do the things that I wanted. So regarding that, I think it was just getting through the process. Yeah, I mean, after that it also takes time to feel the confidence again in your leg to be sliding around the court, being able to move the way you were. But, again, I'm talking about the injury more than I'm thinking about it, you know. It's in the past now."

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