Alexander Zverev lost the French Open 2024 finals to Carlos Alcaraz and instantly drew criticism. Tennis fans didn’t show Zverev any mercy as they attacked his legacy for failing to win a major title yet again. Amidst all the hate that the German has been receiving, an independent journalist lauded him for his run to the finals despite battling a fatal disease.
Several naysayers claim that Zverev failed because of the winning mentality that he lacked. However, Christopher Johnson had a different take on the same.
In his article for Grand Slam Magazine, Johnson explained how suffering from Type 1 diabetes since childhood, prevented Zverev from giving Alcaraz a tough fight in the final two sets of the contest. Alexander Zverev spent close to 24 hours on the court before making his way to the French Open 2024’s ultimate match, which was the highest amongst all men’s singles players in this year’s competition.
The American journalist revealed some horrific details of Zverev’s Type 1 diabetes condition. He talked about the impact of the auto-immune disease on a professional athlete.
“His (Zverev) pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to move sugar from his blood into his cells. If he doesn’t manage his health properly during a match, he can become dizzy, lethargic or hypoglycemic. He could fall into a coma and even die on the court,” Johnson wrote.
Sascha setting foot on the court while fighting against this fatal injury in itself is an achievement. Only a handful of athletes have have successful sporting careers professionally with the diseases.
MLB players Catfish Hunter (who had type 1 diabetes) and Jackie Robinson (who had type 2 diabetes) created history back in the day but eerily, both passed away at the age of 53. Catfish Hunter was the first player in more than 50 years to win 200 games as a pitcher and known popularly as the first-ever ‘big-money free agent’ player of the league. On the other hand, Jackie Robinson was the first player of color and Afro-American to play in the reputed league.
Considering the fact that he’s become one of the best players on the ATP Tour despite being diabetic, like Arthur Ashe (Type 2 diabetic) and Bille Jean King (Type 1 diabetic), Alexander Zverev is a huge inspiration for many kids around the world.
However, it has not been an easy journey for Zverev as he has had controversies surrounding injections that he has had to take, even during matches on many occasions. The French Open 2023 was the most talked about tournament in this regard.
French Open Personnel Didn’t Help Alexander Zverev Take His Insulin Injection
During the French Open 2023, Zverev had to defend himself from accusations that he was wasting time and taking drugs by constantly heading out of the court for extended timeouts.
At the same time, each of these moments was being considered as a bathroom break by the chair umpire. Venting his frustrations, Zverev told Eurosport Germany:
“During my last match, they told me this would count as a toilet break. I replied: ‘Guys, come on! I only have two toilet breaks in a match but in a best-of-five-match sometimes I have to inject four, or five times…”
“They said it looks weird when I do this on court. But this is not a clever take because if I don’t do it, my life will be in danger. But they said it looks weird. I said, ‘What does it look like? That I’m doping?’ This argument makes no sense.”
In most ATP 250, 500, and 1000 level tournaments, Sascha is allowed to inject himself during the match on the court. So it is odd that the rules for Grand Slams are different.
Alexander Zverev deserves some sympathy for his condition, which no other professional tennis player has at the moment. Yes, winning a Grand Slam would mean a lot for his legacy. However, if he were to remain without a major’s title, the fact that he’s made it to multiple Grand Slam finals is a great achievement given his condition.
