Diabetes Research Connection

Before the trophy, there was the routine: A glucose check. An insulin dose. A moment of care familiar to people living with type 1 diabetes seen on one of the biggest stages in sports.

For Alexander Zverev, it carried years of meaning. Diagnosed as a child, he once kept it private and was told diabetes could stand in the way of becoming a professional athlete. In 2023, his need to inject insulin at the French Open was questioned, with an official reportedly saying it looked “weird” and advising him to do it in the bathroom instead.

Now to see him manage his diabetes openly and stand as a Grand Slam champion is bigger than sport.

It’s a reminder that there is still a great deal of misunderstanding about type 1 diabetes and what it takes to live with it every day.

That insulin is life-saving care.

That athletes with T1D deserve safe, dignified access to treatment wherever they compete.

And that diabetes should never define what’s possible.

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