Zverev credits 'very strong mother' after US Open title win

[p]The top seed beat American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]‌Ben Shelton[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/shelton-b-QNuG0Gzb/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=MyyzpiYp"]6-3 7-6(2) 5-7 6-2[/a] at Flushing Meadows to finish a spectacular year at the Grand ‌Slams in which he proved his doubters wrong.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Zverev[/a] had come agonisingly close ‌to capturing his maiden Grand Slam title in New York in 2020, leading [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thiem-dominic/dtwmvonR/"]Dominic Thiem[/a] ‌by two sets to none and later serving for the match in ‌the fifth set before losing.[/p][p]He finally won his first major crown at this year's French Open after defeating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cobolli-flavio/zDtaCcPe/"]Flavio Cobolli[/a] in five sets, and the German doubled his tally in New York ‌despite making a shaky start to the fortnight.[/p][embed guid="baca43d5-a54a-4c06-8d5b-4f693766cee5" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b40hO04eyLo" social-type="youtube" /][p]Shortly after ⁠his victory, Zverev reserved his most heartfelt ‌thanks for his mother Irina, a former professional tennis player, crediting her with refusing to ​let type 1 diabetes dictate his future.[/p][p][b]"When your four-year-old son is diagnosed with diabetes and doctors in the office tell you that life ​and sports will be very limited for that child, it takes a very strong mother to say 'my son will be whatever he wants to be'," [/b]Zverev said.[/p][p][b]"If ⁠he wants to be a ​tennis player, he'll be a tennis player. If he wants to do something else, he'll do something else, but this illness will not define us.[/b][/p][p][b]"I'm happy that we worked through it and we're doing things that we're doing right now. My mother is ‌the most important and strongest person I know because it takes an unbelievably strong woman to do what she did."[/b][/p][embed guid="1ff9de87-08d6-4700-93da-04ea3398bde8" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc7pQQvkAzU" social-type="youtube" /][p]The 29-year-old hailed his team, which includes his father, Alexander Zverev Sr., and his brother Mischa, for the hard work that had delivered him another major crown.[/p][p][b]"We went almost 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title, and now we've won two in a span of three months,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"I think God has seen how hard we've worked, how much we've suffered, how much pain we went through, and I think 2026 is the outcome ‌of all the years that happened before. Thank you, you are absolutely amazing, and ​I couldn't be here without you."[/b][/p][p]Zverev also paid tribute to Shelton, who ‌was bidding to end a 23-year American wait for a men's Grand Slam champion.[/p][p][b]"Ben, you're an incredible player and an incredible person,"[/b] Zverev added.[/p][p][b]"This was your first Grand Slam final, but I already told you you're going to be back here many more times, and if I would have to bet ⁠all my money on it, I ⁠would bet that you would lift ‌this trophy one day."[/b][/p][embed guid="d1b7a869-ee45-4a87-b258-59262af92c02" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xvs0FC_A-M" social-type="youtube" /]