Alexander Zverev Admits He Will Need Injections for His Back After Shocking US Open Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 6:07 AM ET

Alexander Zverev’s long wait for a Grand Slam title will continue after the German crashed out of the US Open in the third round, falling to Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in a match that left the New York crowd stunned.

The 28-year-old, who entered the tournament hoping to finally make a breakthrough at Flushing Meadows, was undone by a sharp and confident performance from Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian star produced a display of fearless shot-making, taking the initiative in key moments and exposing Zverev’s ongoing struggles.

After the defeat, Zverev admitted in his press conference that he was far from his best throughout the tournament.

“I didn’t feel the balls well and my backhand was not working the entire week,” Zverev said. “Felix played better than me overall. I wasn’t good, I didn’t play well in the tournament. I had absolutely no feel for the ball, even in the first two matches. I tried to be aggressive, but it didn’t work. My backhand was completely off this week

The German also addressed lingering concerns about his physical condition, particularly his back pain, which had limited his serving power. But he was quick to emphasize that his loss was not due to injury.

“Yes, the back does have something to do with the serve,” Zverev acknowledged. “But that’s not the reason why I lost. I lost because I really played badly, and that’s just the way it is. The back pain won’t go away until I get an injection, and I’ll be getting that at some point. But again, that’s not the reason.”

Zverev’s answers reflected a sense of frustration with his performance, as he pointed out a recurring pattern over the last two years at the US Open.

“I think I’ve played badly here for the last two years,” he admitted. “Last year, I won my matches, but they were laborious, they weren’t really pretty.”

“As soon as I played against a good player — last year it was Taylor [Fritz] in the quarter-finals, this year it was Felix in the third round — I immediately lost the match. To sum it up, I played too passively because I had nothing in my racket, really nothing at all,” he added.

The former world No. 2 also acknowledged the disappointment of once again failing to find his rhythm in New York.

“I said here last year that I didn’t have a feel for any of my shots, and it’s the same again this year,” Zverev reflected. “It’s a hard court, so nothing has changed, only the balls were different. But that’s no excuse. I have to do better next year. I have to find a solution. I haven’t played well here for two years, which is disappointing.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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