Zverev: 25 percent of my lungs weren’t working

Alexander Zverev is feeling better after his pneumonia, but has also revealed details of his health problems.

At the Laver Cup in Berlin at the end of September, a thorough examination revealed that “25 percent” of his lungs weren’t working. “I ended up in hospital before the Laver Cup when I had a fever of 40 degrees for three days in a row and then at some point I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore,” said the 27-year-old Hamburg tennis professional after his opening victory at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Due to pneumonia, the world number two only took a short break and just skipped the tournament in Beijing. The French Open finalist then returned to the tournament scene. He failed in the round of 16 in Shanghai, in the quarter-finals in Vienna and most recently won the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy before the ATP Finals.

Zverev: “Still getting tired a little quicker”

“I might still get tired a little quicker,” said Zverev after the 6:4, 6:4 win against his Russian preliminary round opponent Andrei Rublev. “But I feel OK. That doesn’t mean that my lungs are at 100 percent, but I actually feel fit again now.”

Zverev had previously stated that he would not be back to full strength and hopefully 100 percent until the next season begins in Australia. The Australian Open begins in Melbourne in mid-January as the first Grand Slam tournament of the new season.

In Turin, Zverev is a title contender after his tournament victory in Paris-Bercy. The 2021 Olympic champion impressed against Rublev, but also had to cough during the interview on the court.

On Wednesday (8.30 p.m./Sky), the two-time ATP Finals winner will face Norwegian Casper Ruud in Turin, who defeated Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who was also in poor health, in the opening match.