German tennis star Alexander Zverev hopes his luck in the Grand Slams has changed after his plane traveling to the French Open was struck by lightning, BTA reported.
This week he crashed out of his home tournament in Hamburg in the round of 16 with a stomach virus and more drama followed as he tried to get to Paris for the clay-court Grand Slam tournament, which begins on Sunday.
"After takeoff, the plane was struck by lightning and we had to return to Hamburg and make an emergency landing," Zverev told reporters.
"It looked quite funny because there was just a slight noise, no real shaking or anything like that. It was the first time I've been struck by lightning in the air.“
Zverev arrived in Paris late and on a different plane, but will play his first-round match against American Learner Thien on Tuesday.
“It's not an injury, it's a stomach virus. It will go away and then I'll feel good. I hope to be 100 percent healthy,“ he added.
Zverev has yet to win a Grand Slam singles title and lost the French Open final last year in five sets to Carlos Alcaraz. His form on clay this season has been lackluster.
“The first matches will be important for me, that's for sure,“ the world number three added.