Alexander Zverev couldn't leave Arthur Ashe Stadium as the newly crowned US Open champion without thanking his mother, whom he credits with helping him become a professional tennis player.
Zverev capped off a stunning 2026 season with the US Open title, his second Grand Slam of the year after winning the French Open.
Zverev needed four sets to beat Ben Shelton in the final, and initially didn't realize he had won until coming to terms with the commotion.
The German gave a long speech after the match and even fired a savage dig at Shelton's girlfriend, Trinity Rodman.
However, he also used his spotlight to pay his respects to his mother, who battled his corner after being diagnosed with diabetes.
Zverev has lived with Type 1 diabetes since he was diagnosed at the age of four. The German is often seen checking his glucose levels during matches, and during the US Open final, he was seen injecting insulin using an insulin pen.
After lifting the US Open title, Zverev shouted out to his mother, who never attends his matches but has been integral to his career.
"I wanna thank one more person who’s never actually watching my matches. But she is the most important person in my tennis life and in my life in general. When your 4-year-old son gets diagnosed with diabetes, and doctors in the office tell you that life and sports will be very, very limited for that child," he said.
"It takes a very, very strong mother to walk out of those offices and say, 'My son will be wherever he wants to be. If he wants to be a tennis player, he’ll be a tennis player. If he wants to do something else, he’ll do something else. But this illness will not define us.’ My mother is the most important and strongest person I know. It takes an unbelievably strong woman to do what she did," he added.
Zverev is now the No. 2-ranked player in the world, and entered the US Open as the No. 1 seed for the very first time. His status was elevated after Jannik Sinner withdrew following an injury.
