Zverev's father talks about what Sascha is like in training

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This February, it's time to talk about a prominent coach who may not grab the headlines like others, but has proven to be one of the most methodical and successful in the circuit. We are referring to the father of the world number 2, Alexander Zverev Sr. The former Russian tennis player has been in charge of coaching his two sons, Sascha and Misha, guiding them in their careers as both a father and a coach. Similar to how Apostolos Tsitsipas did with Stefanos until recently, but with the difference that Zverev Sr. does continue his role on the coaching bench with his younger son, who achieved great results in 2024.

"The key to success, not only in sports but in any profession, is good and honest work. When he goes to work, whether it's on a court or in a gym, he always gives 100%. I believe that's the main key to success. Thanks to that, he has the position he does," the coach said to the ATP about Sascha. To achieve success, you also need people who believe in you and support you. No one better for that than your own father and someone who knows that world he belonged to as a young player, reaching the 175th position in the ranking in 1985. And let's not forget about his mother Irina, who also dedicated herself to professional tennis.

Balance between being a father and a coach, was there rivalry between the brothers?

Alexander Sr. started coaching his elder son Mischa who retired in 2023. Since then, his role in Sascha's team has grown exponentially, being someone very important who serves as a coach, agent, training partner, and above all, "helps him as a brother." They always shared training sessions and off the court, there was the typical sibling rivalry as you find in any household. However, that rivalry never existed in tennis, quite the opposite:

"I would say they mutually helped each other, motivated one another. When Sascha was still a junior, very young, Mischa always trained with him, gave him advice on facing other players, on which shots to use, how to train,... He helped him in every way. Later, when Mischa was 27, he had a wrist operation and wasn't sure he could continue playing. That's where Sascha supported him to the maximum, motivating him every day. They even played doubles together. They won two titles, in Montpellier and Acapulco. I wouldn't say they had a rivalry, but they supported each other."

In the end, they ended up being two players with very different styles but sharing the same desire when they were junior players: to improve. "Both were great juniors. Sascha won the Australian Open, Mischa didn't win but reached the semifinals of the US Open. Both played well, but what I remember most fondly was seeing how much they loved this sport. The way they trained, their desire to improve. That was the most beautiful thing from those days, watching my boys wanting to become great players. Ultimately, they succeeded," the coach confessed.

It's no wonder that Alexander is among the best in the world, as his work ethic and desire to be his best version are explained by his father this way: "Sascha's relationship with training, from a very young age, made him not want to leave the court. He would start crying because he wanted to keep playing. 'I still want to train.' Even now, being one of the top players in the world, he sometimes finishes a late-night training session around 11:00 p.m. or midnight. And he asks tournament organizers to let him hit balls after matches for 30 or 40 minutes."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El padre de Zverev habla de cómo es Sascha en los entrenamientos