Alexander Zverev has been questioned over his physical issues after a disappointing Laver Cup campaign.
Zverev lost to both Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz, with the latter match securing victory for Team World at the Laver Cup.
This means that the German has now lost three consecutive matches, including Zverev’s third round defeat at the US Open.
After a disappointing weekend for Zverev at the Laver Cup, he provided an update on his back injury that he has recently been struggling with.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver CupAlexander Zverev provides injury update after undergoing injections in his back
Despite making a late fightback to force a second set tie-break, Zverev continued his recent poor record against Fritz after losing their sixth consecutive meeting.
When reflecting on the match in the post-match press conference, Zverev was asked about what makes it so challenging to play Fritz, who also beat Carlos Alcaraz at the Laver Cup.
“I mean, Taylor has a massive game,” said Zverev. “When he’s on, he’s really on, you know? I mean, he can hurt anybody. He can compete with anybody, so he’s a difficult player, for sure.
“I tried my best today. I was close to winning the second set and then the tiebreak with the team in my back. I really liked chances, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.”
Zverev was then asked about his back injury, which he had previously spoken about at the Laver Cup before his match with Fritz.
The world number three revealed that he did not take to the court for two weeks after the US Open, but suggested that it is feeling better and was not the reason for his defeat.
“Yeah, I mean, after the US Open, I didn’t play for two weeks,” responded Zverev. “I didn’t do anything for two weeks. I had two injections. So far it’s holding up. Yeah, I hope it continues being good.”
What is next for Alexander Zverev after the Laver Cup?
Zverev has recently criticised the busy tennis calendar, despite playing more ATP tournaments than any other player in the top 10.
The 28-year-old will continue his busy 2025 season, as he is now scheduled to travel to Beijing for the China Open.
Zverev will be the second seed at the ATP 500 event, just behind Jannik Sinner, who is playing his first tournament since losing in the US Open final.
That is one of two tournaments that Zverev is playing in China, as he is also entered into the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai.
Throughout the Asian swing, Zverev will be looking to gain enough ranking points to confirm his qualification into the ATP Finals for an eighth time.
Zverev will begin this campaign at the China Open, where the ATP tournament gets underway on Thursday, September 25.