Alexander Zverev paid tearful tribute to his mother after winning his first-ever US Open title.
Zverev, in a thrilling 2026 US Open finals on Sunday, September 13, beat Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to lift his second Grand Slam title of the year.
The German claimed victory in a stadium full of Shelton supporters, just three months after winning his first major title at the French Open.
Alexander Zverev's tearful tribute to mom
After lifting the second Grand Slam trophy of his career, Zverev, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of just four years, shared an emotional message for his mother, Irina, a former professional tennis player.
He also credited her for not letting the lifelong chronic metabolic disease stop her son from chasing his dreams and ambitions.
During the on-court interview, he said, “When your 4-year-old son is diagnosed with diabetes and doctors in the office tell you that life and sports will be very limited for that child, it takes a very strong mother to say, 'My son will be whatever 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.' I'm happy that we worked through it and we're doing the things that we're doing now. My mother is the most important and strongest person I know because it takes an unbelievably strong woman to do what she did," the 29-year-old added.
Zverev also thanked his team, which includes his father, Alexander Zverev Sr., and his brother, Mischa, for their hard work that helped him win his second major title in a span of three months after almost “30 years without winning a Grand Slam title.”
Besides the Grand Slams, Zverev, who was seen injecting insulin using an insulin pen during those finals, also won a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics five years ago.
