Alexander Zverev pulls out of US Open due to ankle injury

Alexander Zverev has withdrawn from next week’s US Open after failing to recover from an ongoing ankle injury.

The current world number two has been struggling for full fitness since sustaining the injury in his French Open semi-final defeat to Rafael Nadal in June.

A statement on the official US Open website read: “2020 US Open finalist Alexander Zverev will miss the 2022 US Open.

“The 25-year-old German officially withdrew from the event on Monday as a result of a continuing ankle injury.”

Tournament organisers said 24-year-old American Stefan Kozlov will replace Zverev in the main draw.

Zverev was forced to leave the court in a wheelchair after retiring from his clash with Nadal at Roland Garros having turned his right ankle before the second-set tie-break and is working his way back following surgery to repair torn ligaments.

Since his debut in 2015, Zverev had played in 27 successive grand slam tournaments before the injury ruled him out of Wimbledon earlier this summer.

Zverev, runner-up to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open, reached the semi-finals last year when he lost out to Novak Djokovic in a marathon five-set battle.

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