“I feel better now, but it’s still there.”

Zverev was hospitalized with pneumonia

The World No. 2 gave an update on his health, admitting that he had even been hospitalized and had to take antibiotics: “Yes, I had a slight lung problem. I have an inflammation in my lungs that will last a few months; It will take about two to three months for it to completely disappear,” he said after withdrawing from the China Open.

“So, I took medication, but the reason I left Beijing was because I was quite sick; I had a pretty high fever during and after the Laver Cup,” added the two-time Grand Slam runner-up. “I ended up in the hospital. I didn’t feel good and just didn’t have the energy to play. I was given antibiotics for a week.”

“I feel better now, but of course the problem with my lungs hasn’t gone away; it’s still there,” he continued. “I still feel like I’m maybe a little more tired than I’m used to, but either I’m going to sit out the whole season now or I’m going to play the way I can play.”

“There is nothing that will delay or worsen the recovery if I play, that’s what the doctor said, and that’s why I’m here and I’m happy to give 100 percent of what I have.”

Zverev will make his debut on Friday against Italian Mattia Bellucci (No. 101), who survived qualifying and beat Billy Harris (No. 106) 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.