French Open: How Zverev battled Type 1 diabetes to end his slam jinx

The wait was worth it for Alexander Zverev, who finally captured his first Grand Slam title at the French Open after two near misses and three appearances in major finals over the years. There will be no shortage of critics pointing to the absence of Carlos Alcaraz and the early exits of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic as factors that eased his path. However, his five-set final against Italy's Flavio Cobolli had all the ingredients of a Roland Garros classic.

 “If anyone asks me who deserves this title, I would say you,” Cobolli told Zverev after the duel – and it was not just a manner of speaking. What has often gone under the radar is that Zverev had been a child diabetic from the age of four – Type 1 – and even the final in Paris saw him taking a timeout to check his blood sugar and inject an insulin before returning to action.

He is not the first elite sportsperson to battle the silent killer with controlled diet and fitness regimen, with former Pakistan cricketing great Wasim Akram being the most famous name in Indian sub-continent to cope with it ever since he was only 31.  Football has seen the likes of Nacho Fernandez, a Spanish international and stalwart Real Madrid defender who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 12. Nacho, in fact, became the first player with the condition to score in a FIFA World Cup.

 Much like Akram, Zverev had been a crusader against diabetes and created a foundation to help the cause of children diagnosed with diabetes. He also joined hands with Medtronic Diabetes as their global ambassador to the champion the ‘Life without Limits’ campaign. In a signed article for Medtronic, Zverev had once said: “Becoming a professional tennis player was always my dream. Early on, I was told that competing at the highest level with diabetes was impossible — but my family and I refused to accept that. That’s why I’m partnering with Medtronic Diabetes: I want every person with diabetes to feel empowered to live the life they want.”

  In 2022, Zverev teamed up with his brother Mischa and parents, Irina and Alexander Zverev Sr., to launch the Alexander Zverev Foundation, which supports children with type 1 diabetes around the world. Zverev’s brother and parents have also played professional tennis. “Olympic champion and two-time ATP world champion Alexander Zverev launched the Alexander Zverev Foundation in 2022, based in his hometown of Hamburg. He is supported by his brother Mischa and his parents Irina and Alexandr Zverev. The foundation is mainly committed to children with type 1 diabetes. Among other things, the life-saving insulin and other essential drugs are provided – also in developing countries.”

The French Open crown was nothing short of redemption for Zverev, for long being termed as the nearly man in tennis. In the 2024 final against Alcaraz, he squandered 2-1 sets lead while back in 2020 US Open final, he famously blew a two-set lead to Dominic Thiem to eventually lose in a deciding tie-break. However, nothing could possibly match his heartbreak of the 2022 French Open semi-final when Zverev had to retire mid-match against Rafael Nadal after suffering a freak ankle injury.