Zverev and a serious problem with his diabetes: "I had never experienced anything like this"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 20 Jun 2026 | 22.59

Alexander Zverev explains reasons for his defeat in Halle. Photo: gettyimages

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Alexander Zverev fell just short of reaching the final in Halle after losing to Taylor Fritz in the semifinals. The German, who entered the tournament with soaring confidence after winning Roland Garros, couldn't sustain the level he had shown all week and ended up succumbing to an opponent who once again proved why he is one of the most dangerous players on the grass court circuit.

However, the big headline of his post-match appearance was not related to purely tennis matters. Alexander Zverev revealed that he had a significant issue with the sensor he uses to monitor diabetes, a circumstance that completely disrupted his preparation and seriously affected his physical performance during the match. Nonetheless, the German drew positive conclusions from his week in Halle and stated that he will arrive at Wimbledon 2026 with good feelings about the surface.

Alexander Zverev explains the physical problems that affected his loss to Taylor Fritz in Halle

Zverev discloses a glucose sensor failure during the Halle semifinals

"I don't think there are reasons to worry about Wimbledon. My back got a bit locked, but that wasn't the main reason for the defeat. I had huge problems with the sugar because the sensor I use gave me a completely incorrect reading. It indicated very high values when they were actually low, so I injected much more insulin than I should have.

During the match, or rather during the first 45 minutes, I had to consume about 350 grams of sugar. I felt absolutely terrible. That was truly the reason why I wasn't physically present in the second set and also struggled a lot in the third. Nevertheless, I fought, gave it my all, and in the end, it must also be acknowledged that Taylor deserved the win. He played better than me today. He was more present, fresher, moved better, and deserved the victory."

Sascha Zverev explains why he had to consume massive amounts of sugar during the match

"This is the first time something like this has happened to me. I've been using these sensors since 2016 or 2017, and in nine years, I had never seen such a big error. After the second set, the doctors were working on my back, but the real issue was different. If someone watches the match, they will see that I was constantly drinking a glucose drink after another."

In the end, I ended up consuming between 300 and 350 grams of sugar. That is very hard to manage. It's like someone drinking a huge amount of soda during a match. Obviously, they wouldn't feel well. But I had to do it because otherwise, I would have remained with sugar levels too low all the time.

I noticed it shortly before the match. The device was indicating extremely high levels. However, I already felt that my sugar was low. I decided to do an additional measurement and confirmed that indeed, my levels were low. At that moment, I thought, 'It's going to be a tough day'."

The German believes his tennis level was sufficient to beat Fritz

"The disappointment is there because I feel that my tennis was there, but for other reasons, I couldn't show it. The last times I played against Taylor, he was a better player than me, but today I felt that my level was there. I just wasn't physically able to demonstrate it on the court.

Nevertheless, this also leaves me with positive signs for Wimbledon because I think I've felt pretty good on the grass and hope to maintain those feelings next week."

Alexander Zverev leaves Halle with confidence for Wimbledon

"I'm already looking a bit towards Wimbledon and feel that I've shown really good tennis on the grass this week. I've played good matches, and that's the main thing for me. Everything else right now is secondary.

In tennis, I always say that even when things are going well, you must have a short memory because the next tournament is already here. Wimbledon starts almost immediately. I'm going to do everything possible to prepare well and also play good tennis there."

Zverev explains why he needs to play tournaments before the Grand Slams

"For me, the warm-up tournaments always help. I need to compete before a Grand Slam. Jannik is different. He has won the Australian Open without playing previous tournaments, even more than once. There are players who work that way. Roger Federer also didn't need warm-up tournaments and won many Grand Slams that way. But I am someone who needs the competition rhythm. I think Jannik doesn't need it because he has already proven it many times in Australia."

Despite the loss to Taylor Fritz hindering his path to the title in Halle, Alexander Zverev leaves the tournament with much better feelings than the result reflects. The German believes he has found the level he was looking for on grass and trusts that the issues arising from the glucose sensor failure will remain an isolated incident. Now, with Wimbledon 2026 just around the corner, the recent Roland Garros champion hopes to carry those good feelings to the most prestigious stage of the grass court season.