Doctors told me I could never play pro tennis – I refused to believe them, now I’m aiming for Australian Open glory
ALEXANDER ZVEREV revealed he defied the odds by becoming a world-class tennis player – after being diagnosed as diabetic.
The German, 26, is sixth in the ATP rankings and aiming to reach a second Australian Open semi-final.
He takes on Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals on Wednesday after beating Cameron Norrie in a fifth-set tie-break.
And as with the previous 580 matches of his professional tennis career, Zverev will step out on to court knowing he has shocked doctors.
That is because medical professionals predicted top-level sport was out of the question for Zverev due to his incurable life-long condition.
The 2020 US Open runner-up said: I have been a diabetic since I’m three years old.
“I’ve decided to take a big step to go public with this. I’ve always been very careful, never really talked about it much.
“The moment I started to walk, I walked around with a tennis racket but a lot of doctors said professional sports is impossible with diabetes.
“They said it is not possible to perform on a high level physically for four or five hours in a row if you are diabetic.
“I’m somebody that if someone tells me it is not possible, I’m trying to do the exact opposite.”
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Zverev added that he created a foundation in 2022 to support people who also have diabetes.
The controversial 6ft 6ins player – who was voted into the ATP player council despite facing an upcoming domestic abuse trial – often sees his blood sugar levels go up when he is nervous.
Speaking in the Netflix tennis documentary Break Point in 2023, Zverev explained: “Last year while I was injured, I had not much to go and decided to create a foundation to help kids and people all over the world with diabetes.
“Diabetes is an illness where sometimes your sugar goes low, sometimes your sugar goes high, so then you might have to inject yourself.
“I can take care of myself of course.
“I can play for six hours in heat. I can keep playing when I’m already completely dead.
“I’ll fight till the very last moment.”
What is diabetes?
DIABETES is a condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.
There are 2 main types of diabetes:
- type 1 diabetes – a lifelong condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin
- type 2 diabetes – where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells do not react to insulin properly
The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach).
When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it’s broken down to produce energy.
However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there’s either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced does not work properly.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes.
If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll need to eat healthily, take regular exercise and have regular checks including blood tests.
People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes also require regular insulin injections for the rest of their life.
Source: NHS