Zverev hopes to emulate Nadal and Federer in tennis comeback: "I hope it will be a similar process with me, that I won't play my best tennis right away"

Alexander Zverev is hopeful of emulating Federer and Nadal as he makes his comeback to tennis following a terrible injury.

Zverev has not played in many months after literally breaking his ankle at Roland Garros. The German made a winning return beating Dominic Thiem in straight sets in Saudi Arabia and he's hopeful of keeping that good momentum going. Dealing with the injury was not easy:

"I've missed all this for the last seven months. It was not an easy time for me. I've missed the tennis tour, the tournaments. I've missed interviews, I've really missed everything. I'm just happy to be back on the court and with the best players in the world here. Just to be back in this atmosphere, this air. I'm happy to be back on the pitch. Hopefully, things will start going right for me here again."

He added:

"The injury taught me to be more patient and to appreciate the little things. When I walked for the first time, I was happy like a little kid. When I was able to walk for the first time, it felt like I had won the biggest tournament in the world. Things you could do all your life were suddenly special to you. That's the huge difference between after the injury and before the injury."

And concluded with:

"People always say that when Rafa or Roger come back, they are back at 100%. But that's not quite true either. Rafa came back last year and I think he lost to everybody at the Abu Dhabi exhibition. Then he came back at the Australian Open, won the tournament and played the best tennis of his life."