Growing up in a family of athletes can have both good and bad sides, but the right support can make a big difference in a player’s career. During his pre-US Open press conference, top seed Alexander Zverev spoke about how family support can shape a tennis career.
Talking about growing up with his older brother Mischa, Zverev praised the “smart tennis parents,” pointing to the fathers of Ben Shelton and Casper Ruud as good examples of healthy parenting on the tour.
Alexander Zverev Highlights Ben Shelton and Casper Ruud’s Fathers While Discussing Life in a Tennis Family
At his pre-US Open press conference, Zverev was asked about growing up with an older sibling in the same sport. He joked about the downside of having Mischa around, saying his brother was standing right there and “not listening to a word” he was saying.
Mischa, who retired from professional tennis in 2023, remains part of Alexander’s team as his agent, tactical adviser, and traveling support.
Zverev also stressed the importance of healthy family support, praising parents like Bryan Shelton, Christian Ruud, and his own father, Alexander Zverev Sr., for giving their children independence.
“I know there are crazy tennis parents out there as well,” the 29-year-old said. “If you try to control every single aspect of your kid’s life, even when the kid is 25, 26, 27 years old and at some point has a personal life… I think that is never helpful.”
“But if you have smart tennis parents like we do have on tour now, I feel like Ben Shelton’s father is incredibly smart, Casper Ruud’s father is incredibly smart, I feel like I’m lucky enough to say the same thing about my parents. I think then it’s beneficial,” the German added.
Zverev’s primary coach is his father, Alexander Zverev Sr., who has guided his career alongside his mother, Irina Zverev. Both were professional tennis players for the Soviet Union.
The World No. 2’s comments also point to Stefanos Tsitsipas’ parents, Apostolos Tsitsipas and Julia Salnikova, who have both been involved in professional tennis and have had heated moments with Stefanos. In June, the Greek also parted ways with his father as a coach.
“The older I get, the harder I find it to maintain a stable relationship with my father in a coaching context. I feel we’ve reached a point where I’m looking for something completely different. I could feel it in the day-to-day energy of our work together,” Tsitsipas said.
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With the support of his family, Zverev is enjoying a strong season, winning the French Open, finishing runner-up twice, reaching six semifinals, and achieving a career-high World No.2 ranking.
In Flushing Meadows, Zverev will face Lorenzo Sonego in the first round.
