‘Not Easy to Combine Both’ – Alexander Zverev’s Brother Warns Rafael Nadal of How Fatherhood Can Have a Negative Impact on His Tennis Performances

Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis star, has had a fantastic year as he won two Grand Slam titles and performed well at Wimbledon. But the latest good news that was on trend is much more important than any of his tennis accomplishments. 

On October 8, Nadal and his wife, Maria Francisco Merello, welcomed their first child. However, while everyone was happy to hear the news, there was a sense of doubt in some people. In the past, we have seen in the past with players like John McEnroe and Serena Williams being vocal about their drop in performance post-parenthood.

German Tennis star Alexander Zverev’s brother recently cautioned Rafael Nadal about the potential effects of fatherhood on the latter’s tennis career.

Mischa Zverev cautions Rafael Nadal on potential negative changes post fatherhood

Mischa Zverev, a professional tennis player and Eurosport analyst, has a firsthand experience with the profound life changes brought on by the arrival of a new child. The 35-year-old discussed the impact of parenting on his daily training and tournament play in an Instagram live with Eurosport. 

He further explained how the Spaniard Rafa could potentially be affected, considering his recent fatherhood. “Life will change enormously – for the woman, but also for the father. You have to train for two or three hours every morning, after which it’s time for regeneration or fitness,” said Zverev.

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He further continued, “Usually, you warm up for half an hour, then you train for two hours, followed by an hour of regeneration. You have to think about how you go about it, how selfish – even if that sounds stupid – you want to be. Tennis or family? It’s not easy to combine both. For me, family always came first.”

A short brief about Mischa Zverev and his head-to-head record against Nadal

Mischa Zverev has achieved his career-best ranking of No. 25 in his professional career. Despite being overshadowed by his younger brother’s meteoric climb to fame, he has had a brilliant career of his own. In 2009, he qualified for the Italian Open; in 2016, he qualified for the Shanghai Masters and made it to the quarterfinals.

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The 2017 Australian Open was a watershed point in Mischa’s career, as he was the one who upset the then world No. 1 Andy Murray. Moreover, he advanced to the tournament’s semifinals. Regarding their head-to-head matchups, Nadal has a perfect 3-0 record against Mischa, whom he has only met three times (once in 2019 and twice in 2017).