Break it, rip it, tear it

Watch the video.  Between 14-18 seconds is the best part.  CRAZY!  And it looks like he still hit the ball!

Spraining your ankle like this, while I'm sure it's painful, is pretty amazing to watch happen.  My thoughts are, how could your ankle bend that way, and did something break to make that happen?  If something didn't break, lucky guy, if something didn't tear, how much more awesome is that!  Something most definitely did sprain. 
If we only talk about the simplest possibility of a sprain/strain and nothing did tear, then rehab rehab rehab!

For tears, they can involve the ATF, the most common tendon that tears in ankle sprains, and even the other less common ligaments around the ankle on the lateral side.  There can even be a fracture of the bones of the ankle.  Tibia or fibula, take your pick.  All depending on chance!

Lets break down what can really happen in these situations.  First concern is the ligaments as stated above. After this, my second concern is the muscles around the ankle that hold it together; then lets also think of the larger muscles that work to keep the ankle stable.  The Peroneus long and short, that were pulled the most when this sprain/strain (sp/st) occurred, BUT what about the tibialis anterior and the intrinsic muscles of the foot.  Those didn't "sprain" per say, but they WILL be expected to take the brunt of the stabilization in the next few weeks to months to help keep the ankle mobile.  This could even effect the way he walks and how well he plays in the future. 

After such a horrific yet fantastic accident, after the bones have healed and even possibly after the ligaments have been re-attached.  He's quite possibly looking at 4-6 months of rehab. Dependent of course on what really happened in that match.  But rehab shouldn't just be strengthening the muscles, get into those muscle and break up all the scar tissue that forms. Scar tissue prevents fluid motion of muscle fibers and reduces muscle effectiveness and efficiency. Removing these obstacles to help stabilize the area can help make it as good as new. 

Take home: Who knew watching tennis could be so exciting!