Alexander Zverev has disclosed that his grandmother will be unable to attend the Wimbledon final because she still has a Russian passport and does not currently have a visa that would allow her to attend.
Zverev's plea for help
Following his semi-final triumph over British wildcard Arthur Fery, Zverev was asked whether his grandmother would be making the trip to London, having appeared in his box during the French Open final last month. When questioned about her attendance, Zverev conceded: "She doesn't have a visa. She unfortunately has a Russian passport still, so..." He went on to add: "It was great when she was there [at Roland Garros]. I hope, or I know that our chancellor is coming to the final. Maybe he can help with a passport or a longer visa for her, and then she can stay a bit longer, but she had to go back after 90 days."
Semi-final victory
The No. 2 seed swept to victory on Friday afternoon, defeating Fery in straight sets. Despite such a commanding performance at SW19, Zverev was full of praise for his opponent following the win. Speaking to the BBC, he said: "To be honest I have to give credit to two things. First of all Arthur, an unbelievable player, I think he's going to be a senior citizen on our tour because I think he's going to play on this tour for 15-plus years and is going to have great results. I think this was just the beginning of his career and I think he's going to do amazing things for this sport. And then for me the second thing is something that's incredible here. Yes I know that 99.99% of the stadium was wanting Arthur to win but it was still such an incredible atmosphere, it was such a fair crowd as well."
Looking ahead to the final
Having secured his victory before the other semi-final concluded, Zverev offered a light-hearted response when asked whether his opponent's identity matters. He said: "I hope I can play a junior, that would be great! Whether it's the defending champion or someone who's won here 48 times in Djokovic, it's not going to be easy whoever it's against but I have to trust myself and believe I can win." It was subsequently confirmed that Jannik Sinner would face him on Centre Court on Sunday, following his impressive victory over Novak Djokovic. Zverev heads into that contest as the underdog, having fallen to defeat in his last nine encounters against the reigning champion.
Momentum and future prospects
Nevertheless, Zverev carries considerable momentum into the match, having claimed his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open last month. He overcame Flavio Cobolli in that final — the very player Fery had beaten to reach the semi-finals. Despite the English star's exit, the 23-year-old appears destined for a bright future in the sport, with his impressive run to the last four propelling him to 36th in the ATP Tour rankings.
