Rybakina and Zverev: beyond the titles
A brief look at the journeys of the 2026 US Open champions.
High-TechSociety.com | By Luiz Cincurá | Cite
The 2026 US Open crowned two tennis players who represented different countries, but whose stories share a common geographical origin. Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan was born, raised, and began her athletic training in Moscow . Alexander Zverev of Germany was born in Hamburg, but is the son of two Russian tennis players , born in Sochi and later based in the Russian capital.
Both trajectories, therefore, have roots linked to Russia and the former Soviet Union, but followed distinct paths to the titles won in New York. Besides the decisive presence of their parents, both received institutional support throughout their development, although in different proportions and at different times.
Zverev received financial assistance from German sports institutions when he was already progressing in the professional circuit; Rybakina received broader support from Kazakhstan, which made his permanent transition to the international circuit possible.
In the men's tournament, the German Alexander Zverev, 29 years old and 1.98 meters tall , arrived at the 2026 US Open as world number 2, defeated the American Ben Shelton 3 sets to 1 in the final and remained in second position in the ranking after the end of the competition.
In the women's competition, Elena Rybakina, 27 years old and 1.84 meters tall , won the US Open for the first time by defeatng Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka 2 sets to 1.
The tennis player had already mathematically secured the top ranking by winning her quarter-final match at the US Open. Therefore, she did not become number 1 as a result of the final, although she ended the competition with two extraordinary achievements: the title in New York and reaching the top of world tennis.
Zverev: the diagnosis that did not interrupt his career.
Alexander Zverev. Photo: JC, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 2.0
Alexander Zverev was four years old when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes , a chronic condition in which the body stops producing enough insulin. Managing it requires constant monitoring of blood glucose levels and regular insulin administration.
According to the tennis player himself, doctors told his family that his life and his possibilities in the sport would be very limited . His mother, Irina Zvereva, refused to accept that the diagnosis predetermined what her son could or could not achieve.
Recalling that moment after winning the 2026 US Open title, Zverev said his mother told him he could be anything he wanted: if he wanted to become a tennis player, he would be a tennis player; if he chose another path, he could follow it as well. The illness would not define his life.
Zverev dedicated one of the most moving passages of his acceptance speech to his mother, Irina , describing her as the most important person in his life and tennis career, as well as one of the strongest people he knows.
The champion continues to manage his diabetes daily, including during competitions. In 2022, he created the Alexander Zverev Foundation , an organization dedicated primarily to supporting children and young people with the disease and expanding access to the medications and resources necessary for treatment.
A family of high-level tennis players
Alexander Zverev is German by birth, but has Russian family origins. His parents, Irina Zvereva and Alexandr Zverev , were born and raised in Sochi, the Russian city that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. At the time, the region was part of the Soviet Union. Later, they both moved to Moscow, where they pursued their sporting careers.
Irina was part of the Soviet tennis elite and reached fourth place in the national women's ranking . She also competed in the 1990 Moscow Open and became known for the quality of her one-handed backhand. After leaving competition, she became a coach and played a decisive role in the technical development of her children. Alexandr Zverev was also a professional tennis player, representing the Soviet Union in the Davis Cup and competing in three Grand Slam main draws between 1985 and 1986.
In 1991, as the Soviet Union neared its end, the couple moved to Hamburg after both received offers to work as tennis coaches at the Uhlenhorster Hockey-Club . Subsequently, they both became German citizens .
The couple's first child, Mischa Zverev , was born in Moscow in 1987 and grew up in Germany . Alexander was born ten years later, in Hamburg, in 1997. Mischa represented Germany on the professional circuit; Alexander continues to represent the country and win titles.
Alexander began playing tennis at the age of five . His mother guided his early training and played a particularly important role in the technical development of his strokes. Later, his father took over as the main coach and remains in charge of his preparation.
Mischa also built a professional career and reached 25th place in the world rankings in 2017. After leaving the circuit in 2023, he began assisting his brother as a coach, training partner, and member of the team responsible for managing his career.
From youth competitions to the first major titles.
Zverev was the world's number 1 junior player and won the Australian Open junior title in 2014. He debuted on the ATP main circuit in 2013 and won his first title in 2016.
In March 2016 , when Zverev was ranked 58th in the world , the German Tennis Federation announced that, together with the German Olympic Sports Confederation, it allocated approximately €60,000 per year to his training. According to the federation, these entities covered the majority of his physical trainer's salary . This investment complemented the structure provided by his family, but was granted when Zverev was already beginning to establish himself on the professional circuit.
The evolution was rapid. In 2017, he won his first Masters 1000 titles, in Rome and Montreal . At the 2018 ATP Finals , he defeated Roger Federer in the semi-final and Novak Djokovic in the final, to win the tournament that brings together the best players of the season for the first time.
Despite impressive results, success in Grand Slam tournaments took longer to arrive. The most painful experience occurred at the 2020 US Open , when Zverev took a two-set lead over Dominic Thiem in the final, but suffered a comeback and finished as runner-up.
In 2021 , he won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games and won the ATP Finals again . He already possessed some of the most important titles in tennis, but was still seeking his first Grand Slam .
The most critical moment of his career occurred on June 3, 2022, during the Roland Garros semi-final against Rafael Nadal. Zverev tore three ligaments in his right ankle , had to leave the court in a wheelchair, and underwent surgery. During his recovery, bone edema delayed his return. He returned to official competition on December 31, 2022, after being away from the circuit for almost seven months. The injury interrupted a period in which he was approaching the number one spot in the world rankings.
After a gradual recovery, he returned to competing in the decisive stages of the biggest tournaments. His first Grand Slam title finally arrived at Roland Garros 2026 , making him the first German to win a men's singles tournament of that category since Boris Becker, champion of the 1996 Australian Open .
Just over three months later, winning the US Open on September 13, 2026 , confirmed the best season of Zverev 's career: two Grand Slam titles in the same year and the victory in the same stadium where he had lost the 2020 final.
Rybakina: the height that closed one path and opened another.
Elena Rybakina during training at the US Open.
Photo: Ocoudis/Wikimedia Commons - CC0 1.0 . Cropped image.
Elena Rybakina was born in Moscow on June 17, 1999. As a child, she practiced gymnastics and figure skating alongside her older sister, Anna. As she grew older, her height reduced her prospects for pursuing a professional career in gymnastics , a discipline in which shorter stature can favor better performance in the execution of certain movements.
It was her father, Andrey Rybakin, who realized that the height that hindered her continued participation in gymnastics could be used in another sport and suggested that his daughter try tennis . Elena started playing tennis at the age of six and initially developed her skills at the Dynamo and Spartak clubs in Moscow.
Unlike Zverev's parents, Andrey and Ekaterina Rybakina were not professional tennis players. Even so, they played a decisive role in their daughter's upbringing, monitoring her training and, later, in the choice that allowed her to continue her career.
Rybakina reached third place in the world junior rankings , but upon finishing high school, she had to decide whether to take the next step in her career: transitioning to professional tennis . Her family lacked the necessary resources to regularly finance travel, coaches, accommodation, and other expenses of the professional circuit.
During this time of financial difficulties and uncertainty about the continuation of her career , Rybakina received the support that would allow her to move forward. The Kazakhstan Tennis Federation decided to invest in the potential of the 19-year-old, offering her financial support, training facilities, and the opportunity to compete on the international circuit. In return, she would represent the country.
The proposal that changed Rybakina's trajectory.
Rybakina and her parents traveled to Kazakhstan , met with the federation's president, Bulat Utemuratov , and decided to accept the offer. In July 2018 , she officially began representing the country.
The tennis player herself later explained that the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation was looking for promising athletes, while she needed support to fully launch her professional career. According to Rybakina, the federation's proposal represented a good fit between what both parties were looking for. The confidence placed in his potential and the financial and sporting conditions offered were decisive in his decision.
When she received support from the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation in 2018 , Rybakina had just entered the top 200 female tennis players in the world and finished the season ranked 191st . In 2019, she won her first WTA title in Bucharest and finished the year ranked 37th in the world . In 2020 , she reached 17th place and finished the season ranked 19th, consolidating her entry into the top 20 female tennis players in the world .
To better understand the significance of this partnership, it is worth knowing some characteristics of Kazakhstan, the country that Rybakina came to represent.
A country from the former Soviet Union that invested in tennis.
Panoramic view of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
Photo: Ken and Nyetta, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY 2.0
With most of its territory located in Central Asia and a small portion in Europe, Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world in terms of land area and shares a long northern border with Russia.
Its territory was part of the former Soviet Union as the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic . The country declared its independence on December 16, 1991, being the last of the former Soviet republics to do so.
Its capital, Astana , is approximately 2,300 kilometers from Moscow as the crow flies . A direct flight between the two cities usually takes just over three hours.
Kazakh is the official language of the state. Russian, however, remains widely spoken by the population and is officially used in public bodies and local administrations.
Kazakhstan has the largest economy in Central Asia and is classified as an upper-middle-income country . Its economic capacity is strongly linked to the production and export of oil, gas, uranium, and metals . The country possesses important oil fields in the Caspian Sea region and is among the world's largest producers of uranium.
In 2007 , the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation launched a project to develop the sport in the country. The project had the financial support of major Kazakh businessmen. The plan combined investments in facilities, coach training, youth competitions, and attracting athletes born in other countries.
The offer made to Rybakina was part of this project. Kazakhstan was looking for tennis players capable of achieving international results and, at the same time, sparking the interest of children and young people in tennis.
A partnership of mutual benefits.
Being affiliated with Kazakhstan for sports doesn't mean Rybakina focuses all her training in that country. Her routine follows the international circuit , but she maintains concrete sporting ties with the country she represents.
Her relationship with the country, however, goes beyond the funding she received at the beginning of her career. She has represented Kazakhstan since 2018 , defends the national team in the Billie Jean King Cup¹ and has become the main international reference for Kazakh tennis.
The support he received allowed him to regularly compete in professional tournaments and develop his potential. In turn, his results projected Kazakhstan's sports program internationally and offered the country's youth a concrete example that their flag could reach the highest levels of world tennis.
At Wimbledon 2022 , Rybakina became the first representative from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam title . At the WTA Finals 2025 , she won the competition that brings together the best tennis players of the season undefeated .
At the 2026 Australian Open , he won his second Grand Slam title . Then, at the 2026 US Open, he achieved the third major title of his career.
By defeating Qinwen Zheng in the quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open, Rybakina earned the points needed to secure the world number one ranking, regardless of the results of subsequent matches.
She became the 30th woman to reach the number one spot in the WTA rankings and the first representative from Kazakhstan - among both women and men - to achieve the top spot in world tennis.
Power, composure, and balance on the court.
Standing at 1.84 meters tall, Rybakina has built her game around one of the most effective serves on the women's circuit. Her power also shines through in her deep, fast groundstrokes , which allow her to take control of points and reduce her opponents' reaction time.
The power of his game contrasts with the sobriety of his demeanor. Rybakina rarely displays intense satisfaction at a point won or frustration at a mistake. He maintains a serene appearance even in moments of greatest pressure and usually reacts discreetly to both victories and defeats.
Although known for her reserved demeanor on the court, Rybakina states that this doesn't mean she lacks emotion . The tennis player considers herself a naturally calm person, although she acknowledges feeling nervousness, frustration, and other emotions during matches. However, she tries not to let them interfere with her concentration, the rhythm of the game, and the decisions she makes at each point. Her discretion should therefore not be interpreted as indifference, nor, in isolation, as proof of complete emotional control. She combines a reserved personality with the ability to manage her reactions during competition.
After winning the 2026 US Open, her celebration remained consistent with that personality. Rybakina displayed joy and emotion , but maintained the elegance and discretion that have become hallmarks of her presence on the court.
Two paths of perseverance and support.
Zverev was born into a family of high-level tennis players. He received technical training from his parents from childhood, and his father continues to follow his professional career as a coach. He had to learn very early on to balance the sport with the constant management of his diabetes.
Rybakina was introduced to tennis by her father after her height limited her career prospects in gymnastics. When the family's resources were no longer sufficient to finance her transition to the professional circuit, she chose to represent Kazakhstan, whose federation believed in her potential and offered her substantial financial and sporting support. This investment was crucial in enabling her to participate regularly in the international circuit and transform a promising youth career into a professional one.
In New York , the two stories reached a new point of convergence. Zverev put behind him the lost final at the 2020 US Open and won his second Grand Slam. Rybakina won her third major career title and became the first representative of Kazakhstan to reach the top of the world rankings.
Behind the two champions are decisions made when the future was still uncertain: a mother who did not allow a medical prognosis to limit her son's aspirations; a father who saw tennis as a possible path for his daughter; and a country that offered Rybakina the necessary resources when her continued participation in professional sports was not yet assured .
Years later, these distinct trajectories reached the same point of consecration: the 2026 US Open singles titles and the US$5.5 million prize awarded to both the champion, Zverev, and the runner-up, Rybakina.
By Luiz Cincurá
Founder and Editor
Editorial Transparency: This article was produced with the support of ChatGPT in conducting the research, organizing the content, and providing suggestions for writing and text revision. The Editor's participation included defining the editorial approach, guiding the research and providing critical analysis, as well as making decisions and modifications to the text, approving the final version, and being responsible for the published content.
Notice:
¹ International women's tennis competition between national teams , equivalent to the men's Davis Cup. Named after former American tennis player Billie Jean King.
Sources:
Alexander Zverev Foundation. Supporting children and young people with diabetes.
ATP Tour:
Alexandr Zverev and his role as coach
Profile of Alexander Zverev
World Bank. Economic overview of Kazakhstan.
United States Department of Commerce. Natural resources and economic structure of Kazakhstan.
Government of Kazakhstan. Official information about the country, its capital, and languages.
Red Bull Rybakina explains his way of managing emotions during matches.
Reuters:
The historical dimension of Rybakina's rise to power in Kazakhstan.
Elena Rybakina's sporting career.
Zverev highlights his mother's confidence after winning the US Open.
The Guardian. Kazakhstan's support for Rybakina's career and the tennis development project.
US Open:
Alexander Zverev wins the 2026 men's title.
Rybakina wins 2026 women's title.
WTA:
Profile and results of Elena Rybakina.
Rybakina becomes the first representative from Kazakhstan to reach number 1.
How to cite this publication:
ANDRADE, Luiz Inácio Caribé Cincurá de. Rybakina and Zverev: beyond the titles. A brief look at the journeys of the 2026 US Open champions. High-TechSociety.com, September 16, 2026. Available at: <https://www.high-techsociety.com/post/rybakina-e-zverev-al%C3%A9m-dos-t%C3%ADtulos >
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