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Alexander Zverev was previously told that he would have to administer his insulin injections during limited off-court toilet breaks at the French Open. The German has type 1 diabetes.
By Yasmin Syed
Alexander Zverev will reportedly be free to administer his insulin injections at the French Open (Image: Getty)
French Open organisers have U-turned after telling Alexander Zverev that he would have to inject himself with insulin during an off-court toilet break. The world No 27 has type-1 diabetes and Roland Garros chiefs weren’t happy when he injected himself during his fourth-round match. It sparked backlash, with Zverev claiming his life would be in danger while a diabetes charity hit out at the decision.
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Zverev has learned that will be allowed to inject himself with insulin on-court as normal after French Open bosses initially urged him not to do so. The 26-year-old was told that he would have to use one of his two permitted bathroom breaks to administer the injection because it looked “weird” on the court.
But the German Press Agency (DPA) has now learned that the former world No 2 will be free to inject himself on-court. If he decides to go off-court for the injections, this will also not count as one of his two limited bathroom breaks.
It comes after Zverev complained about inconsistencies from tournament bosses, who weren’t happy when he injected himself during his win over Grigor Dimitrov on Monday. Zverev has type-1 diabetes and needs regular insulin to maintain his blood sugar levels.
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Alexander Zverev was originally told not to inject himself on court (Image: Getty)
And there were issues during his earlier matches against Frances Tiafoe and Alex Molcan when a supervisor didn’t know he was diabetic and said a doctor had to administer the injections. “At the last match I was told that it counts as a toilet break,” Zverev told Eurosport Germany.
After being informed that a doctor had to inject him, the 19-time title winner added: “I told him that this is wrong because a normal doctor can’t help me if he is not specialised and does not have the right data about how much I have to inject.”
Things came to a head during his match against Dimitrov, where Zverev said he was told it didn’t look right when he injected himself on the court. “This is not a clever take because if I don’t do it, my life will be in danger. But they said it looks weird,” he said.
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And it prompted a response from type 1 diabetes research charity JDRF. In an open letter, the charity said: “We would like to emphasise that insulin administration is an essential aspect of type 1 diabetes management, and it should be treated with the same respect and understanding as any other medical intervention.
“It is critical that athletes with diabetes, like Mr. Zverev, are given the necessary accommodations and support to effectively manage their condition while competing. This includes the ability to administer insulin when required, as recommended by their healthcare professionals.”
With Zverev now free to administer the injections both on and off the court, the German booked his spot in a third-successive semi-final at Roland Garros on Wednesday. He defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4 and awaits either Casper Ruud or Holger Rune.
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Alexander Zverev French Open
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