Alexander Zverev won his first match on Chatrier following the injury last year and it was a great experience for him as he produced a great level as well.
Playing tennis since coming back has been a hard thing to do for Zverev because his level is nowhere where it was in the past. It's something that he needs to overcome and the only way to do so is to play tennis. He's embraced the journey and produced one of his best matches since coming back upon his return to Chatrier.
He injured his ankle on the court last year and it was certainly a tricky one to navigate considering the circumstances. He spoke with Eurosport's
Boris Becker after the match to discuss how it all went. Becker asked him:
"I think you're back, I believe you've closed the chapter of tears today. But what happened to the way you play? The legs were running, the arm was running. That's not what you somehow learned or unlearned now. What happened there?"
To which Zverev responded:
"Sometimes you really have to go back to the place where it happened. Sometimes you just need to completely close that chapter once and for all because I didn't have the chance. I played in Geneva, which means I didn't pratice on the court. I didn't warm up on the court, that was truly the first time I stepped back on the court. Maybe you really have to completely close it off, draw a line and say, 'Okay, I'm going to create new memories on the court now'. Maybe today was that day, let's see how it will be in the next matches."
It's a very good way of looking at things who will need to keep that positive attitude moving forward as well.