Back problem forces Zverev to withdraw from Hamburg Open
A back problem has forced talented German tennis star Alexander Zverev to withdraw from the 2026 Hamburg Open lawn tennis competition.
The 29-year-old who holds a 17-7 record at the tournament, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, revealed in a post on Instagram that he won’t compete in front of his home crowd due to the back injury.
Zverev who has lifted the trophy at the ATP 500 clay-court event in 2023 and reached the final on home soil in 2024 said that his medical team advised him to take a break from competition and focus on recovery.
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“Hamburg is my hometown, and it is always something very special for me to play in front of my home crowd.
“Unfortunately, I have been dealing with back problems throughout the entire clay-court season.
“My medical team has therefore strongly advised me to take a break from competition next week and focus on recovery.
“I always tried everything possible to be able to compete in the tournament and even played through injury at times, but this time I have to listen to my body and follow the advice of my medical team.” Zverev wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.
