Alexander Zverev returned on crutches to wave to French Open crowd after heartbreaking injury in semifinal

This was so hard to watch.

This is just awful.

Alexander Zverev — the third seed in the 2022 French Open — was facing Rafael Nadal in the semifinal on Friday. In the second set, they were tied 6-6, when Nadal hit a shot that Zverev slid to try and get to.

But his ankle turned and he writhed on the court in agony. After leaving, he came back on crutches to wave to the crowd that was cheering for him, knowing how heartbreaking it was to get this far and having to allow Nadal to win.

Here’s the moment he came back, and some photos of it below the video: