Alexander Zverev was taken off the court during the French Open semifinals after he injured himself. The third-ranked player revealed in a social media post that he has undergone surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right ankle.

He sustained the injury while going against Rafael Nadal, who eventually won the semifinal, and then the French Open.

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Zverev said in a social media post, “To return to competition as quickly as possible, to ensure all the ligaments heal properly, and to reclaim full stability in my ankle, surgery was the best choice.”

Zverev said he had the surgery in Germany on Tuesday morning after receiving confirmation that “all three of the lateral ligaments in my right ankle were torn.”

The 25-year-old German player did not specify a timetable for his return.

Zverev hurt himself while chasing after a shot late in the second set against Nadal last Friday, crumpling to the ground, grabbing his right ankle and wailing in agony.

He was taken off the court in a wheelchair, then returned on crutches to say he was retiring from the match.

Zverev’s French Open heartbreak was shared by his opponent too. Nadal said that Zverev was “very unlucky.”

“The only thing that I am sure is he is going to win not one — much more than one. So I wish him all the best and very fast recovery”, he said, according to AP reports.

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Zverev compiled nearly twice as many winners, 40-21, and got off to an “amazing” start, according to Nadal, who called it “a miracle” that he took the first set.

Zverev is still seeking a major breakthrough. He managed to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and was also the runner up at the US open two years ago.