The WHO, to Zverev after his victory at the US Open: “Thank you for showing that diabetes does not have to limit anyone’s dreams, and for taking advantage of your visibility to inspire others”

The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), This Monday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated tennis player Alexander Zverev, who has been diabetic since childhood.for his victory in the US Open, and noted that this condition “does not have to limit anyone’s dreams.”

“Congratulations on your first title at the US Open, Thank you for showing that diabetes does not have to limit dreams of anyone, and for taking advantage of your visibility to inspire others,” said the head of the WHO on his official account on X.

Tedros took advantage of Zverev’s victory, the German tennis player’s second Grand Slam victory after the one also achieved this year at Roland Garros, to ask all countries to invest in the diabetes prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and patient care.

In 2022 Zverev revealed that he had type 1 diabetesdiagnosed when he was a child, and created a charitable foundation that bears his name to support people with that disease.

On Sunday Zverev dedicated the victory to his mother and the courage he showed when the doctors gave him the diagnosis, arguing that it would be difficult for him to dedicate himself to the sport when he grew up.

“It takes a very, very strong mother to leave that consultation and say: my son will be whatever he wants to be.. If he wants to be a tennis player, he will be a tennis player. If he wants to do something else, he will do something else. But this disease will not define us,” said the current world number two.