Alexander Zverev has been dealing with this back problem for some time now.
Zverev did not play for two weeks after the US Open due to this issue and returned to action at the Laver Cup.
The German lost both of his matches in San Francisco, before Zverev returned to winning ways at the China Open.
However, this was short-lived, as Zverev then lost to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals in Beijing.
Remaining in China, Zverev has now provided a further update on how his back is feeling ahead of the Shanghai Masters.
Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty ImagesAlexander Zverev provides fitness update ahead of the Shanghai Masters
Zverev is a former finalist at the Shanghai Masters, and will want to go one better at the ATP 1000 tournament this year as he looks to cement his place as world number three.
When speaking to the ATPTour.com ahead of his first match in Shanghai, Zverev was asked about how his back is feeling.
In his response, Zverev suggested that it is still an ongoing issue, but it is something that he is managing.
“Yeah, it’s stiff,” said Zverev. “It’s hindering me on some of the things I would like to do in practice and some of the loads I have to take off, so yeah it’s something I have to manage.
“It’s getting quite annoying, but it is what it is. We are all at the end of the season, everybody has something, for me this year it’s the back so I’m trying to be 100%.”
One of the ways that Zverev is trying to manage this back injury is by having injections in it, something he has revealed has helped him, but did start to wear off in Beijing.
“I had two…” Zverev responded. “Yeah, they were good, and I felt good in Laver Cup, I felt good in the first match in Beijing and then it went downhill kind of quite quickly from there, so I’m just trying to do my best to be 100% in Shanghai.”
Alexander Zverev’s Potential Draw at the Shanghai Masters
Zverev will be hoping that his back is not too much of a relevant factor at the Shanghai Masters this year, as he looks to make a strong finish to the 2025 season.
This feels especially relevant now, as Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal has gifted Zverev an opportunity as the highest ranked player remaining in the top half of the draw.
Some of the other threats looming in Zverev’s half of the draw include Alex de Minaur, Lorenzo Musetti and the player who beat him in Beijing, Medvedev.
Shanghai Masters 2025Alexander Zverev’s Potential DrawFirst RoundReceives a bye as the third seedSecond RoundMariano Navone/Valentin Royer (Q)Third RoundAlex Michelsen (28)/Arthur Rinderknech/Hamad MedjedovicFourth RoundJiri Lehecka (15)/Denis Shapovalov (23)/Quentin Halys/Damir DzumhurQuarterfinalLorenzo Musetti (8)/Felix Auger-Aliassime (12)/Jakub Mensik (17)/Luciano Darderi (26)SemifinalAlex de Minaur (7)/Karen Khachanov (9)/Daniil Medvedev (18)/Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (18)FinalJannik Sinner (2)/Novak Djokovic (4)/Taylor Fritz (4)/Ben Shelton (6)
Before Zverev can think about any of those players, he will need to focus on his opening encounter against either Mariano Navone or Valentin Royer, the latter of whom reached his first ATP final recently in China.
That second round match at the Shanghai Masters will take place on Saturday, October 4.