Why Did Alexander Zverev’s Brother Mischa Retire From Tennis? Recent Discussion From Fans Provide Saddening Truth

Alexander Zverev’s performance at Roland Garros has garnered a lot of attention from the tennis world this season. After all, he started the tournament with a massive win against Rafael Nadal in the first round. However, he is not the only one in his family to play professional tennis! Zverev’s brother, Mikhail “Mischa” Alexandrovich Zverev, has also made his mark in tennis. But sadly, he does not play anymore. Why? Well, according to fans, there are a few reasons to consider.

Mischa, who is ten years older than Alexander Zverev, turned pro back in 2005. Since then, he has battled several players on-court. Among them, the most prominent was his win against the then world No. 1, Andy Murray at the 2017 Australian Open. This resulted in a great boost in his ranking, which went high up to No. 25! However, the Italian Open quarterfinalist of 2019, has now stopped gracing the tennis court with his presence. While no solid information is provided from his end, fans speculate that there are certain important aspects working behind his decision. 

When a question was posed on Reddit, “Mischa Zverev: whatever happened to him?”, fans’ responses shed light on different angles on the subject. Referring to the age of Zverev’s brother (36), one fan wrote, “He’s 10 years older than his brother, and didn’t he peak late in his career anyway.” It is indeed true, as the German player who played his last match in 2019 reached his career high ranking after 12 years of experience on-court. 

Another fan highlighting his injuries said, “Struggled with injuries through his whole career, and was managing a back injury for his last few years. Ranking dropped and he retired.” Although very little detail is known about his injury, Zverev’s ranking indeed dropped below 100 during the latter half of 2019, after which he didn’t proceed in his career.

There was also a discussion about how his “100% serve and volley” style of playing may also act as a reason behind it.“2017 was his year in singles and he burned bright. I always thought his style would have made him a better doubles specialist.” Like the fan pointed out, Alexander Zverev’s brother (once ranked 44 in doubles) achieved four titles in his doubles career, which is three more than his singles title collection. Therefore, it further sparks curiosity among his fans regarding his doubles career.

On the other hand, one fan compared his career statistics with those of his brother and wrote, “He had the same # of top 10 wins at the majors as Alex until the 2023 US Open.” When asked about the exact number, he further added, “just one.” But according to another fan, it was just his age that might be the reason. “Dude old,” a Reddit user wrote. 

The exact reason behind his inactivity on-court still remains a mystery. However, when it comes to supporting his brother in his success as well as tough times, Alexander Zverev’s brother is always there to guide him.

Alexander Zverev’s brother described why Zverev had always had a better chance of winning against Nadal

When Alexander Zverev cried out in agony because of his ankle injury in the semifinal of the 2022 French Open, fans were worried too. Even then, Mischa Zverev provided frequent updates on his brother’s recovery process. Fast forward to two years later, before the former world No. 2’s first match against Nadal, Mischa Zverev’s confidence was evident. 

“Everyone asks me what I think that it works out and I always say that Zverev could and should have won at the time. This time he will also win, because Nadal has become slower and his fitness leaves much to be desired,”  he predicted. His prediction came true when the tennis world witnessed Zverev winning against Nadal with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

Alexander Zverev’s focus is now on his fourth-round match against Holger Rune. While the 27-year-old player continues to amaze the tennis community, fans will also remember his brother’s contribution to tennis as well.

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