Alexander Zverev honors his mother after winning the US Open and credits her with his battle with diabetes

Alexander Zverev’s triumph at the US Open was about more than finally winning the Grand Slam title that had eluded him for years. Moments after beating Ben Shelton in the final, the German paid an emotional tribute to his mother Irina and the role she played in helping him fulfill his tennis dreams despite battling diabetes.

Zverev defeated Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to claim his first US Open title and second Grand Slam crown of the year. During his victory speech, he called his mother the most important person in his tennis life and recalled how she supported him after he was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of four.

Highlights from the 2026 US Open men’s singles final

“I would like to thank one more person who never actually watches my matches but is the most important person in my tennis life and in my life in general,” Zverev said.

“When your four-year-old son is diagnosed with diabetes and the doctors in the office tell you that life and sports will be very, very limited for this child, it takes a very, very strong mother to walk out of the office and say, ‘My son will be wherever he wants to be.'”

“If he wants to be a tennis player, he will be a tennis player. If he wants to do something else, he will do something else. But this disease does not define us.”

Zverev then described his mother as “the most important and strongest person I know”, adding: “It takes an incredibly strong woman to do what she did.

FROM CHILDREN’S DIAGNOSIS TO US OPEN JOY

Zverev was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of four. He kept his condition private for many years before revealing it publicly in 2022. He subsequently founded the Alexander Zverev Foundation, which aims to support children with diabetes and help improve access to insulin and medication.

His mother’s faith became a central part of Zverev’s journey, especially after doctors warned his family that diabetes could limit his life and sporting ambitions.

The 2026 season has now brought Zverev two major milestones. He won his first Grand Slam at the French Open earlier this year before adding to his collection of major breakthroughs with his first US Open title.

The win was also of particular significance following his heartbreak in New York in 2020 when he surrendered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the final.

This time, Zverev held his nerve to lift the trophy. And as the celebrations began, he made sure to remember the man who never let his illness define what he could achieve.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

14 Sep 2026 05:11 IST