Alexander Zverev and diabetes - How Roland-Garros champion manages his condition amid run to the 2026 Wimbledon final

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Alexander Zverev defeated Arthur Fery in straight sets on Friday to reach the 2026 Wimbledon final. It came a month after he triumphed at Roland-Garros to become a Grand Slam champion for the first time and rubber-stamp his status as one of the leading players of his generation.

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But the Hamburg-born star has spent almost his entire life managing Type 1 diabetes after being diagnosed with the condition at around three years old.

As part of living with diabetes, the world No. 3 - who will face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in Sunday's final at SW19 - requires insulin therapy and has spoken openly about the demands of managing the condition while competing at the highest level.

He has also been seen administering insulin during tournaments. Last month, Zverev revealed that he suffered a serious blood sugar issue during his defeat to Taylor Fritz in Halle after his glucose sensor provided an incorrect reading.

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"My sensor indicated a completely wrong value for my blood sugar," the German told reporters following his 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5 defeat in the Terra Wortmann Open semi-finals.

"So I injected way too much insulin. I had to absorb nearly 350 grams of sugar. I felt really, really bad.

"The last time I played against Taylor, he was simply the better player. Today, I feel like my tennis was right there, but physically I just wasn’t able to show it.

"I’ve been using this sensor since 2016, and this is the first time it’s shown such a false value. During the match, I drank one glucose gel after another to reach about 300 to 350 grams of sugar.

"It’s like drinking three and a half litres of Coca-Cola during a match. You wouldn’t feel very good either. But me, I had no choice, otherwise I’d have been constantly hypoglycaemic."

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Zverev has previously spoken about requiring insulin injections during matches to help control blood sugar fluctuations during physically demanding encounters.

The German runs a diabetes foundation in his home country, focused on helping young people diagnosed with the condition.

Speaking at Wimbledon in 2024, Zverev delivered a simple message to those living with diabetes: "Be brave and play sport."

Alexander Zverev is through to the Wimbledon final

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Zverev previously revealed that he had faced criticism over administering insulin during matches, with suggestions that the practice looked unusual on court.

”They (the ATP) 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," Zverev said.

”I said, ‘What does it look like? That I’m doping?’ This argument makes no sense.”

Zverev gives himself an insulin shot against Novak Djokovic in the 2025 French Open

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Back in 2023, he revealed his frustration with the treatment he received at Roland-Garros over administering insulin during matches.

Zverev said he encountered difficulties at the tournament after being told by an official that he could not take insulin on court and would instead have to leave for a bathroom break - an option limited under tennis rules.

”On the ATP Tour I do it on the court, here they don't allow me to do it,” Zverev told Eurosport Germany after beating Grigor Dimitrov to reach the quarter-finals.

”I'm not allowed to do it on the court and I have to run out every time. Then, at the last match, I was told that it counted as a toilet break.

"That's when I said, ‘Guys, I might have to walk off the court four or five times. Decide what you want me to do.'"

Zverev also recalled an incident during his previous match against Frances Tiafoe, claiming that a supervisor was unaware of his condition and reacted with concern when he administered insulin.

”There was a supervisor who didn't know that I was diabetic,” Zverev added. ”I then gave myself an injection, and he panicked and said I had to call a doctor if I gave myself anything.”

The episode highlighted the challenges faced by athletes managing medical conditions in professional sport amid Zverev's calls for greater awareness and understanding of diabetes.

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