MUNICH: World number three Alexander Zverev has withdrawn from next week’s ATP tournament in his home city of Hamburg with a back injury, organisers announced on Friday.

The 29-year-old did not suggest he would be a doubt for the French Open, which starts on May 24.

“Hamburg is my hometown, and it is always something very special for me to play in front of my home crowd,” said Zverev, who won the Hamburg title in 2023.

“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 will hope to be fully fit for his latest bid for a long-awaited maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. Last year’s champion Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal has left the French Open field more open than expected for the clay-court major, although Jannik Sinner is a hot favourite.

Zverev was dumped out of the ongoing Italian Open in the last 16 by Luciano Darderi, just the second time he has failed to reach the semi-finals of a tournament this year.

However, he has not won an ATP title since taking the trophy in Munich 13 months ago.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2026