The German has struggled with diabetes since he was a child. He was considered the heir to the Big 3 but was overtaken by Sinner and Alcaraz. If he wins Roland Garros he has promised to cut his hair
There is a phrase that explains a lot about the tennis player Alexander Zverev, Flavio Cobolli’s rival in the Roland Garros final. The German who causes discussion and who for various reasons is certainly not among the most loved players on the circuit, has suffered from diabetes since he was four years old: “There are two matches being played at the same time: the one that everyone sees and the one that only I hear”. More than a way to soften the public, it explains the need that Sascha has always had to keep together two different levels of the same existence: the champion who has been at the top of the circuit for years and the child who lives with type 1 diabetes.
pressure
—
On the eve of the Roland Garros final against Flavio Cobolli, Zverev arrives with a lot of pressure on his shoulders and a circle to close: he was number 2 in the world, won Olympic gold in Tokyo, two ATP Finals, seven Masters 1000 and over twenty ATP titles. Yet, for all those who follow tennis, the label he carries on his back is that of the incomplete, who has not yet won a Slam. He seemed close to making it right here in Paris, in 2022, in a semifinal against Rafa Nadal who was heading his way. Instead, bad luck took its toll: a very serious injury to his right ankle which broke and prevented him from returning to good levels for almost two years. A bit like returning to the initial square of Monopoly, without going through the start. At 29 years old, after three lost finals in the Majors, the time of promise is long over, and tomorrow’s is the tournament that can change the perspective with which his career will be read.
talent
—
For a long time Zverev was considered the most talented of the generation born after Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, the first to truly enter their territory. When he won the ATP Finals in 2018, beating Federer and Djokovic in a few days, he seemed destined to be the natural heir to the greats. Then things took a different direction. With the Slams acting as an invisible border. Between glory and dust. The most painful defeat probably remains that of the 2020 US Open. Two sets ahead against Dominic Thiem, three games away from the title. It ended in the fifth set, after more than four hours of match. Then came Roland Garros 2024 against Carlos Alcaraz and finally the Australian Open 2025 against Jannik Sinner. Three finals, three defeats. In the meantime, Sinner and Alcaraz, younger than him, have conquered the role that seemed destined for him: that of dominators of the new era. For over twenty years Zverev hid his diabetes. He almost never talked about it. He feared it would become a label or an alibi for possible defeats. Only in 2022 did he decide to make his condition public and launch the Alexander Zverev Foundation, which supports children suffering from diabetes through treatments, medicines and assistance programmes. “I want to encourage children with diabetes to never give up on their dreams, no matter what others say. I want to show that with this disease you can go very far.”
family
—
Next to him has always been his father Alexander Senior, now also joined by his brother Misha former Top 30. A family story, like that between Cobolli and his father Stefano, although with a different framework. When Sascha was firmly established at the top levels of the circuit, more than one coach, former player and/or supercaoch approached to help but the relationship immediately broke down. It’s difficult to fit into that small group. Juan Carlos Ferrero lasted a few months. Ivan Lendl just under a year old. David Ferrer just one season. Even Jez Green, one of the most esteemed athletic trainers on the circuit, left the team in 2021 after years of collaboration. Each time the center of the project returned to being the family. A shield, a bubble in which to take refuge in difficult moments on and off the pitch. In recent years, in fact, his name has been associated with accusations of domestic violence made by two former partners. An affair that led to an independent investigation by the ATP, closed without sufficient evidence to proceed, and subsequently proceedings in Germany concluded through an out-of-court settlement. Zverev has always denied all accusations. However, the issue continues to represent a gray cloud over his head. Too successful to be considered a failure. Too little successful in the Slams to be considered a dominator, Zverev arrives in Paris with his entire career on his shoulders and a bet that could change him: if he manages to dispel the Slam taboo, he will finally cut his hair. Paris is worth a scalp.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED