'Why Type 1 Diabetes Didn't Stop Me From Becoming World No. 1': Zverev Pens Note

Why Type 1 diabetes didnt stop me from becoming World No. 1: Zverev pens note (New York: US Open 2026)

Alexander Zverev Foundation:  Alexander Zverev achieved a significant milestone on Monday when he became the 30th player to reach World No.1 in the sport on the back of a masterful 2026.

Zverev won his first two Grand Slams this year - the Roland Garros and then the US Open - as he ascended to the top of the chart and became the second-oldest player to reach World No. 1 for the first time. He is 29 years and six months old at the time of taking the top spot and is only younger than John Newcombe, who was 30 years old when he became the World No.1 in 1974.

Zverev is already an Olympic champion, a two-time ATP Finals winner and has won 26 tour-level titles. He is now the new World No.1 and has also achieved the year-end No.1 spot.

Zverev penned a note on the ATP website about his journey, where he reflected on how Type 1 diabetes didn't stop him from becoming World No. 1. Zverev was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was four, and doctors had told his family that a professional sports career would be nearly impossible for him. He takes injections during matches to manage it.

During his note, he highlighted how his mother, Irina, played an instrumental role in helping him manage the problem when his father, Alexander Sr., and brother, Mischa, were away on tours.

"When I was born, Mischa was almost 10 years old, and by the time I was old enough to play sports, my father was travelling with him to junior tournaments to help him achieve his dreams. So while everyone supported me, it was mostly my mom and I back home doing everything together. And that is not just related to tennis," Zverev wrote.

"When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. When that happened, my mom said, ‘Okay, he's still going to be able to play tennis. He's still going to be able to achieve the dreams that he has’.

No matter what obstacle was going to be in my way, she was not going to let anything stop me. I don't want to say living with Type 1 diabetes helped me in my tennis career, or in life in general. But it definitely made me grow up a bit quicker than I probably would have done without it," he added.

The German detailed how he took special care of himself during his early school days, including injecting himself and measuring the sugar levels when he ate food. He added that his mother did not let him listen to those conversations with the doctor and that she did not let his dream slip away.

"I think it's actually more difficult for the parents because it is a shock to walk into a doctor's office for them to say that their child has diabetes and will have diabetes for the rest of his or her life. The doctors start to tell the parents that different things are not possible for their child and that doing certain activities, like sports, might not be the best life choice. My mom would send me out of the room during those conversations, because she did not want me to hear what was going on.

"But my mom never accepted those things and would do everything in her power to help me make my dreams come true. Because of that, I never really had any doubt that I could achieve anything, and that was thanks to having a very strong mother by my side. And again, she was my tennis coach until the age of 16, too," he added.

Zverev added that he created the Alexander Zverev Foundation to provide support for kids with the disease and that his World No.1 ranking is not his alone.

"It's a weird circumstance because of Jannik’s injury. This is not the way that you want to reach the top of the sport. Ideally, you would become World No. 1 when everybody is healthy and playing at their best. But now I am here: World No. 1.

"Most importantly, I feel like me being World No. 1 is extremely important to a large group of people who have the same issues with diabetes. This is not about me.

"It's a weird circumstance because of Jannik’s injury. This is not the way that you want to reach the top of the sport. Ideally, you would become World No. 1 when everybody is healthy and playing at their best. But now I am here: World No. 1.

Article Source: IANS