When sports personalities shed sweat on the field, the entire spotlight is on them. Their every move, every victory, and every defeat are watched and analyzed by millions. But amid all this, we often forget the unsung heroes in the background—their families, who are the real backbone of their success. Alexander Zverev’s latest remark shines a light on this often-overlooked truth.

The World No. 4 is currently playing a home tournament at the Hamburg Open. He has depicted immense potential throughout the tournament and has won 3 of the four matches that he has played in straight sets. While the 27-year-old is all set to play the finals on Sunday against Arthur Fils, the support he receives from his family as well as his girlfriend cannot be ignored. 

Speaking of his schedule, the star player revealed, “I sleep until 12.30 p.m,” per Bild, a German publication. Continuing further, he shared the support he receives from his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla, and his mother Irina Zvereva. “My mother or Sophia make breakfast.” The German player lives with his parents, brother Mischa, his family, and his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla in his parents’ house in the Hamburg district of Lemsahl. But there is another reason why Zverev does not cook his own breakfast.

Speaking in the same interview, the German No. 1 player said, “I am not allowed into the kitchen. If I were, the house would no longer be standing afterwards. My job this week is different – playing tennis.” Zverev and Thomalla have been long associated with each other with the two dating since 2020. Besides, Zverev’s mother is herself a former tennis player. Hence, the support that Zverev receives from both of them is fairly evident as the two know a lot about the player and his sport as well. And as the German is on the brink of winning the German Open again, he reveals a special skill that he has developed.

Alexander Zverev reveals how US Open heartbreak motivated him

The year 2020 gave a major heartbreak to the star player at the US Open. Despite winning the first two sets against Dominic Thiem in the finals, he failed to continue the momentum and lost the match in five sets. And the most crucial reason behind the same was his serve, according to many experts. 

Alexander Zverev opened up about the same in the latest interview and revealed that he has worked on the same. “The serve was the reason I lost the US Open final and I never wanted that to happen again,” Zverev said. “It’s the shot I worked on the most. The most hours, the most repetitions. It was definitely hard work to get it to where it is today.” And it was also visible in his semi-final match. 

In the semi-final clash against Pedro Martinez, Zverev hit a hammer serve at up to 224 km/h. Besides, he scored 89 percent of his points with his first serve. Now as the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if the German star can continue his momentum and win big at the Paris Olympics.