Tennis is a family affair at Zverev! The Zverev family’s support has been a cornerstone of Alexander’s success. Both of his parents are professional tennis coaches and guess what? Even his elder brother, Mischa is also a professional tennis player. This tight-knit family environment has been extremely crucial in shaping Alexander Zverev’s career, providing him with a unique blend of camaraderie and mentorship. With just one step away from his first final at the AO, let’s take a look at the two of the biggest pillars of support in his life who have helped him to reach this height in his career.

Alexander Zverev was born in 1997 to Russian parents, Alexander Zverev Sr. and Irina Zvereva. He was exposed to the racket sport from an early age, with both of his parents having played the sport at a high level in the former Soviet Union. They moved to Germany after the collapse of the Soviet Union, where they imparted their tennis expertise to their young son. Alexander Zverev began training under his mother’s guidance at the age of 3 and then afterward his father took over the charge.

Talking about his parents’ tennis career, Alexander Sr. reached a career-high of no. 175 in the rankings in the 80s and had a career record of 3-16 at the top level. Interestingly, Alexander Zverev’s father also made appearances at the AO and the French Open, but he failed to win any matches. However, he did have success with his country as he played 36 Davis Cup matches for the Soviet Union, winning 18 rubbers. On the other hand, Alexander Zverev’s mother had a lot more success despite only reaching a career-high ranking of 380 in 1993.

Irina Zvereva won the ITF Bergisch Gladbach singles title in 1993 and she has also three runners-up trophies to her name. Now, Irina takes an active role in her son’s day-to-day life, including managing his nutrition. Once jokingly, Alexander Zverev had said that he wasn’t allowed in the kitchen because he might accidentally cause a disaster. One of the unique aspects of Zverev’s relationship with his parents, especially with his father has been their ability to separate professional coaching from personal bonding.

Alexander Sr. has been his primary coach for much of his career and their partnership has been relatively smooth in comparison to other parent-coach relationships in tennis. Speaking about his relationship with his father Zverev once revealed, “Off the court, I don’t spend much time with my father, so that is a starting point. We have enough of each other on the court…I know there are certain players who have their father as a coach, and the relationship is toxic, with many fights, arguments, and things that are not healthy. I have to say that is not the case for us at all. We understand each other off the court when we step out and on the court.“

Not only that, even in 2018 during an interview Alexander Zverev was seen hailing his father by saying he’s “one of the best trainers in the world.” Both of his parents are often seen showing their support for their son from the stands but they couldn’t watch him play the US Open Final in 2020 due to testing positive for the COVID-19 test. During the on-court interview, Zverev was seen sharing a few lines on his two biggest pillars of support in his life.

He said, “There’s some special people missing in the crowd today. I want to thank my parents. They’re always with me in every single tournament I go to and unfortunately my dad and my mother tested positive before the tournament and they couldn’t have gone with me…I wish one day that I can bring the trophy home.” Alexander Zverev has reached the final of the major tournaments twice in his career. Can he make it three by winning the SF clash against Novak Djokovic at the 2025 AO on Friday?

Alexander Zverev looks confident before his high-octane clash against Novak Djokovic in Melbourne

Alexander Zverev is currently ranked world number 2, but surprisingly this 27-year-old tennis star is yet to clinch a Grand Slam title in his career. Novak Djokovic has faced Alexander Zverev 12 times in his career and the Serb has 8 of those battles. With 4 wins in his bag against the 10-time AO champion, Alexander Zverev looks confident to put one more in his bag on Friday.

“I’m going to prepare myself for a tough battle. I’m going to prepare myself for a very intense and high-level match. I know I have the level. I’ve beaten [him] before. Hopefully, I can do that again,” said Alexander Zverev. Their last meeting was in the SF the 2023 Cincinnati Masters and the Serb had that time sealed the deal in two sets. Can Sascha stop Djokovic on his way to his 25th Grand Slam title?

Well, time will tell! However, German tennis legend, Boris Becker recently shared a piece of advice for his compatriot. According to him, Alexander Zverev needs to stick to his game plan and not be distracted by Novak Djokovic’s antics. “Sascha has to stick to his game and show his strengths – his serve, his baseline strokes, and his fitness. He mustn’t let himself be put off his game, whatever his opponent does,” said Becker. Zverev was one of the most consistent players in 2024. His fans will be expecting a similar performance from him this season, but can he win a major title in 2025?