PERTH, Australia — Alexander Zverev, currently ranked second in the world, has decided to pull out of the United Cup mixed teams tennis tournament due to a biceps injury, just under two weeks before the Australian Open commences.

The 27-year-old player managed to secure victories in his first two singles matches this season, defeating Thiago Monteiro from Brazil and Zheng Zhizhen of China at the United Cup.

Zverev was supposed to compete against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko in the quarterfinals, but he made the last-minute decision to withdraw from the match. At that point, Kazakhstan had a 1-0 advantage after Elena Rybakina conquered Laura Siegemund with a score of 6-3, 6-1.

“Alexander Zverev has withdrawn from the United Cup due to a bicep strain,” announced the event organizers. They confirmed that Daniel Masur will replace him for Germany in the singles match against Kazakhstan scheduled for today.

Although Zverev has yet to capture a Grand Slam singles title, he has come close, finishing as the runner-up at both the 2020 U.S. Open and the 2024 French Open. The Australian Open is set to begin on January 12.