Tennis pro Alexander Zverev can separate his sporting and private relationship with his father, who is also his coach. When tennis players are looked after by their parents, it is often toxic and there are many fights and arguments, said the 27-year-old from Hamburg at the US Open. “That is not the case with us at all. We get along off the court the moment we leave it, and on the court it is about training, about improving.”
A recipe for this: “Off the court, I spend zero time with my father,” said Zverev. “We have enough of each other on the court.”
Since separating from Spaniard Sergi Bruguera in May 2023, Zverev has been coached again by his father Alexander Zverev Senior, who had previously been unable to take on the task for a time due to health problems. The 2021 Olympic champion is in the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam tournament in New York and will face American Taylor Fritz today.
Brother and mother also in New York
At the games in New York, Zverev’s brother Mischa sits in the stands in the so-called box next to his father and girlfriend Sophia Thomalla. The ex-professional also acts as a training partner for the world number four. When mother Irina watches her son’s games at the US Open in the stadium, she usually sits in another area higher up. In the past, she was often too nervous during the games to sit in the stands.
“I enjoy having the family so close. You don’t get homesick as much,” Zverev said about the relationship.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240903-930-221277/1
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