Alexander Zverev has lived with diabetes throughout his career, and the ATP star announced an initiative to support others dealing with the illness.
Zverev's 2024 was successful on many counts. He won two more Masters 1000 titles at the Italian Open and Paris Masters and finished the year ranked at No. 2, one place ahead of Carlos Alcaraz.
However, he has yet to win a Grand Slam. Alcaraz secured two major titles in 2024, but Zverev finished higher in the rankings despite the Spaniard's Grand Slam successes. Roger Federer's former coach called that outcome a glitch in the system.
In fairness to Zverev, he recently said Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are ahead of him because they won all the Grand Slams in 2024. That led the 27-year-old to start taking measures to improve his game for the 2025 Australian Open before this season ended.
Zverev began practicing immediately after matches. A notable example was this year's French Open runner-up hitting the practice courts immediately after winning the Paris Masters final against Ugo Humbert.
Although Zverev has routinely been asked about not winning a Grand Slam or becoming the world No. 1 despite many outstanding achievements over the years, his career is more impressive considering he manages diabetes.
The illness is a lifelong condition caused by a lack or insufficiency of insulin. It can have severe consequences and makes becoming a professional athlete a much more difficult goal to achieve.
Zverev recounted during an interview with CNN how doctors and other specialists told him that his dream of becoming a professional tennis player was impossible with an illness like diabetes.
"(In) my early teenage years … I wanted to become a professional tennis player. It was already set in my mind. A lot of specialists and a lot of doctors told me that it’s impossible to be a professional athlete with this kind of illness."
The current world No. 2 admits he used to find it difficult when he was younger but now considers diabetes part of his life even though it is not an illness that anybody wants to have.
"That was more difficult for me back then but now I feel like it’s just part of my life. Of course, it’s not an illness that anybody wants to have. I don’t want to have it, you know, millions of other kids don’t want to have it, but it’s ok. It’s the journey that life brings to you."
Zverev's experiences have made him determined to help people with type 1 diabetes and to prevent others from getting type 2 by launching the Alexander Zverev Foundation to raise awareness about the illness.
"I’m happy to hopefully have other kids have this kind of role model, have somebody that they can say, ‘He made it so I can as well’ and that’s the most important thing to me."
The 2020 US Open runner-up deserves nothing but credit for using his image to support those with diabetes. Hopefully, the foundation will succeed and help thousands of people worldwide.
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