Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem have ramped up their preparations for the inaugural World Tennis League, taking place in Dubai in December.
Exchanging messages on social media, the pair have expressed their excitement at partnering with one another at the competition, with the German No. 1 player asking who will partner who in the mixed doubles.
Zverev and Thiem are part of Team Hawks for the tournament, which is set up in a format of four teams of four. Joining the two US Open 2020 finalists are Anett Kontaveit and this year's Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina.
Olympic champion Zverev has not played since severely injuring his ankle in his Roland Garros semi-final against Rafael Nadal back at the start of June. His progress has been steady, but it has cost the German the rest of his season.
When he takes to the court in Dubai alongside team-mates Thiem, Kontaveit and Rybakina, it will be Zverev's first competitive appearance since that injury.
His brother, Mischa - himself a former player - has been giving positive updates over the past few weeks. Speaking to Eurosport Germany recently, Mischa said, "We were able to train last week. On Monday, we were even able to play a little longer. So far he's pain-free and feels good. He just needs a few matches before the big season. Since the great match against Nadal - unfortunately with a bitter end - he has not been able to play any games. That is why we signed up for a couple of exhibition tournaments".
He added, "Training sets at home without an audience are just something different. So you have to be on the court, against a top player, with ball boys and referees to feel the adrenaline again. What do you do when the score is 30-30? How do you behave on the second serve? You just have to test that again. Just like your foot. In Australia, he wants to start at the United Cup. Of course, he doesn't miss that".
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