Alexander Zverev cannot defend titles in Cincinnati
The ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati will take place without the defending champion:Alexander Zverev is not yet match fit after tearing his ligaments several times.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Aug 11, 2022, 12:02 pm
After the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Montreal, Alexander Zverev will also miss the event in Cincinnati and will therefore not be able to defend his title in Ohio. The second in the world rankings is not yet ready for matches at the highest level after suffering ligament tears in the French Open semifinals.
The news does not come as a surprise, as Zverev celebrated his comeback on the tennis court just a few days ago. "I'm happy! First, the way I played was very surprising after more than two months, and second, that I really don't have any pain," said the 25-year-old in an interview with RTL / ntv.
Zverev hasn't written off US Open yet
Zverev has not yet written off the US Open, which begins on August 29, but the native of Hamburg is gradually threatening to run out of time before the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. Mainly because Zverev had emphasized several times in the past that he only wanted to open in New York if the title chances were intact.
Most recently, Zverev did not want to make a prediction about starting at the US Open. It is currently "too early" for that. At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, the man from Hamburg said a little more precisely: "Of course I will still try to make the US Open, although it will be very, very close." Last year, the reigning Olympic champion lost five tight sets in a great semi-final to long-time world number one Novak Djokovic .