Alexander Zverev came to Wimbledon this summer in a historic moment for his career, advancing to his first final at the All England Club just five weeks after winning his breakthrough first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. Yet the 29-year-old German star brought something more to Southwest London than just his powerful serve and relentless baseline game. Throughout the tournament, Zverev made his Type 1 diabetes visible in a way few elite athletes have done, openly managing his condition on court while using his platform to raise global awareness of a disease affecting millions.
Diagnosed at just four years old, Zverev lived much of his career in silence about his diabetes, taking insulin injections privately during bathroom breaks at matches. That changed in 2022 when he disclosed his condition publicly and launched the Alexander Zverev Foundation alongside his brother Mischa and parents Irina and Alexander Zverev Sr. The foundation supports children with Type 1 diabetes around the world, with a particular focus on providing access to life-saving insulin and medical care in developing countries where treatment can be limited or unaffordable.
At Wimbledon, Zverev did not hide his condition. He injected insulin during changeovers on court, using his insulin pen to jab the top of his thigh in plain sight. The All England Club granted him special permission to use his phone during matches to monitor glucose levels through a continuous sensor—an accommodation ordinarily forbidden in professional tennis. The special access reflected the medical necessity of his condition, allowing him to track readings without finger-prick blood tests that would be impractical during match play.
“If we as a foundation, and me just as a tennis player and somebody who has diabetes, can help even just a single kid or a single parent, I’ll be the happiest person in the world,” Zverev said after an early-round victory at Wimbledon. “There’s a lot of great athletes, there’s a lot of actors, musicians, who have diabetes. It shows that with diabetes there shouldn’t be any limits.”
The story of Zverev’s diabetes management took a dramatic turn during his preparation for Wimbledon at a warmup event in Halle, Germany. During his semifinal match against Taylor Fritz, his glucose sensor provided an incorrect reading, showing falsely high levels. Believing his blood sugar was dangerously elevated, Zverev accidentally injected too much insulin. When he realized the sensor malfunction, he consumed 350 grams of sugar through glucose gels in the first hour of the match to normalize his blood sugar levels. He reported feeling “awful” and lost that match in three sets. At a pre-Wimbledon press conference, Zverev noted that the sensor manufacturer was investigating the issue. Despite the malfunction, he defended the technology: “Those things are still very, very useful for a diabetic, make the life of a diabetic much easier than without them,” he said, adding that it marked the first time in over a decade of use that such a problem had occurred.
His journey to the Wimbledon final itself was remarkable. Zverev became only the 13th man in the professional era since 1968 to reach all four Grand Slam finals. By advancing past British wildcard Arthur Fery in the semifinals, he also became the first German man to reach a Wimbledon final since Boris Becker in 1995. The breakthrough came just weeks after his French Open triumph ended his long quest for a first major title after previously falling short in three Grand Slam finals.
In the final on July 12, Zverev faced defending champion Jannik Sinner, who defeated him 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4. Though Zverev won the opening set in a tiebreak, Sinner responded with clinical composure to level the match. A slip on the grass in the third set left Zverev visibly hampered by a knee injury, and Sinner capitalized to take control of the match and defend his title.
Yet regardless of the tournament’s outcome, Zverev’s visibility throughout Wimbledon marked a significant moment for diabetes awareness in professional sports. An estimated 9.2 million people have Type 1 diabetes globally, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Other prominent athletes—including NHL players Bobby Clarke and Max Domi, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, and former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler—have also lived with the condition, but few have brought it to international attention on the sport’s biggest stages quite as openly.
The Alexander Zverev Foundation has reached more than 1,150 children and young people since its launch and has collected more than one million euros in donations. The money funds projects that promote personality development, athletic skills, and healthy active lifestyles for children with diabetes. The foundation also organizes tennis and ski camps, working to dispel the myth that diabetes limits potential for young people who dream of athletic achievement.
Zverev has partnered with medical technology companies including Medtronic Diabetes to amplify his message. “Early on, I was told that competing at the highest level with diabetes was impossible,” Zverev reflected. “But my family and I refused to accept that. I want every person with diabetes to feel empowered to live the life they want.”