Zverev has surgery after ankle injury

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev has had surgery on torn ligaments in his right ankle after his painful exit from the French Open semi-finals.

Zverev turned his ankle against Rafael Nadal in the semifinals on Friday, screaming in pain before being forced to retire from the match.

The 25-year-old looks certain to miss Wimbledon which starts on June 27 and may miss the US Open, which begins on August 29.

“We all have our own journey in life. This is part of mine,” Zverev wrote on Instagram from his hospital bed.

“Next week I’ll reach a career-high ranking of number two in the world, but this morning I had to undergo surgery.

“After further examination in Germany, we received confirmation that all three of the lateral ligaments in my right ankle were torn.

“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.”