Andy Roddick Hat-Tips Alexander Zverev’s ‘Crazy’ Grit Despite Suffering From Auto-Immune Disease

Since grappling with health challenges at the tender age of three, Alexander Zverev‘s journey has been marked by extraordinary perseverance. Although he was devastated by his recent loss in the final against Carlos Alcaraz, the tennis community has not wasted any time in praising his incredible accomplishments. In the middle of the praise, Zverev’s unwavering dedication to the sport in spite of his battle with type 1 diabetes was brought to light by Andy Roddick.

After the Roland Garros final, the former US Open champion talked on his YouTube channel, “Served with Andy Roddick,” about being astonished by the way Zverev came a long way with his health and tennis. He said, “By the way like something that doesn’t get talked about I have this written down. Zverev being a diabetic and actually giving himself insulin on switchovers during matches never gets talked about ever.”

Zverev had bravely shared a few years ago about his fight against Type-1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease he has had since he was three years old. The 27-year-old tennis player revealed his diagnosis and discussed the difficulties he has faced both on and off the court.

For Andy Roddick, what’s shocking is how well Sasha manages to maintain his stamina. The German has been on a rampage at the French Open this year, gunning for his very first Grand Slam and defeating the King of Clay himself in the opeining round. “He spent 25 hours on the court as a type one diabetic. Are you-it’s crazy.”

Roddick also noticed the kit he carries with him everywehere and said on the podcast, “He has this little – it looks like a dob kit that you would take if you went to stay up in the Hampton in Myrtle Beach for like three days right? Like he has this little thing that you would take and he has all of his stuff, checking his insulin and adjusting if needed.”

However, it’s a big change from what Zverev had a few years ago. As the American mentioned, “He used to have to go off-court to do it, but not a big enough deal is made that Zeverev is playing these matches.” The German player often got into tussles with tournament organizers over a basic right that many were hesitant to grant at first.

He revealed, “I was embarrassed of it. I was always trying to hide it. I was never checking insulin levels in public or during matches. You would never see me doing a shot or anything like that. I was always going to the bathroom to do it which is not the right thing to do,”

Despite his longstanding diagnosis, last year, Zverev disclosed that he has grappled with the practicalities of injecting insulin during matches, a necessity for regulating his blood sugar levels. However, he expressed reluctance, citing concerns that such actions would appear unconventional or distracting to the court.

Zverev’s frustrating stand over French Open no insulin rule

The German tennis player has expressed his dissatisfaction with the difficulties he has with his autoimmune disease while playing, especially during last year’s French Open. He disclosed that he was having trouble injecting insulin on the court and that authorities had told him that he would have to take a restroom break instead, which is prohibited by tournament rules.

In a conversation with Europosrts, he stated, “On the ATP Tour, I do it on the court, here they don’t allow me to do it. 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 counts 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’.”

At one of Zverev’s press conferences that year, he expressed his annoyance at hearing that injecting himself on the court would seem “weird.” He is unfazed by these obstacles and his need to administer insulin shots on a daily basis, and he is still determined to give it his all on the court!