Alexander Zverev Shares Important Update on his Back Problems at the US Open

Alexander Zverev has admitted that he’s still suffering from back pain despite winning his opening match at the US Open. The former World No.2 had to fight hard to beat Chilean star Alejandro Tabilo to earn his place in the second round of the New York Grand Slam, where he’s seeking his first career major title.

Zverev is reported to have been struggling with back pain for two months and has been taking painkillers to compete on tour. The pain grew worse at the Cincinnati Open, where he fought hard to reach the semi-finals before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. During his match against Alcaraz, the German star struggled physically on the court under the humid conditions.

At the US Open, he kicked off his campaign with a fine performance against Tabilo, winning the first set brilliantly, but then struggling in the second set. However, he found a way to overcome the Chilean star in the second set after a tiebreak. In the third set, he was focused, hitting hard and serving well.

He broke Tabilo once in the third set and that was enough for him to prevail 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-4. The World No.3 has come agonizingly close to winning his maiden Grand Slam in the past two years. He reached the final of the French Open in 2024 but lost the title to Alcaraz. Seven months later, he lost to World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the final of the Australian Open.

For him to win the US Open, he’s projected to meet the two stars in the semi-final and final. If he must beat them, the German star must be at his best in physical fitness. However, it is not going to be so as he revealed during his on-court interview with Sky Sports that he still suffers back pain despite his brother informing them he no longer had back problems:

Yes, my brother always knows everything better. No, I still have back pain. That won’t change in the next two weeks.

Zverev has been in good form since crashing out of the first round of the Wimbledon Championships. After training with Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni Nadal in Mallorca, he reached the semi-finals of the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open. He currently holds a 43-16 win-loss record on tour and won his only title at the Munich Open in April.

Alexander Zverev aims to improve on his game in the second round of the US Open

Alexander Zverev was the last man to punch a ticket to the second round of the US Open. The German had to wait for Coco Gauff’s clash against Ajla Tomljanovic to end before stepping onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Despite starting late, he did well to make sure his match against Alejandro Tabilo didn’t go beyond three sets at the tournament.