Alexander Zverev walked onto the Roland Garros clay for Sunday’s French Open final as the world’s No. 3-ranked men’s player — and one of the most recognizable names in tennis. But the 29-year-old Hamburg-born German star, known to family as Sascha, didn’t build his career without built-in advantages. He grew up in a tennis family, coached by two parents who were also tennis pros. He was also molded by a brother a decade his senior, and Zverev is now a father in his own right.
Here’s what you need to know about Alexander Zverev’s family — parents Irina Zvereva and Alexander Zverev Sr., brother Mischa, and daughter Mayla.
Both Parents Were Tennis Players in the Soviet Union
Alexander Zverev Sr. reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 175 in 1985, competing at Wimbledon, the 1985 Australian Open, and the French Open as a member of the Soviet Davis Cup team, according to People Magazine. His game was deliberate and tactically dense — peers like Alexander Volkov and Yevgeny Kafelnikov remembered him, according to the ATP Tour site, as someone who “played like a cat on the court.”
Irina competed at the national level as well, ranking fourth among Soviet women at her peak and reaching a career-high WTA ranking of No. 380 in 1993. She became known for a one-handed backhand, the same shot her son would later develop into one of the most reliable weapons in men’s tennis.
Zverev’s Family Moved to Germany When the U.S.S.R. Collapsed
When the Soviet Union dissolved, Alexander Sr. and Irina packed up and moved to Hamburg with their then-4-year-old son Mischa, taking jobs as tennis instructors at the Uhlenhorster Hockey Club, according to Men’s Journal. The couple had married young — Irina was 17, Alexander Sr. was 24, according to The Telegraph — and built their adult lives entirely within the Soviet athletic system.
Germany became their permanent home. They became German citizens, and six years after the move, Irina gave birth to Alexander in Hamburg on April 20, 1997. The family speaks Russian at home, and Alexander has credited his Russian roots as the source of his competitive edge on the court.
Irina Built Technique While Alexander Sr. Coached Both Sons
The coaching division in the Zverev household followed a division of labor. Alexander Sr. took charge of physical conditioning and tactical development, while Irina focused on mechanics, particularly during Alexander’s early years. The result, as Alexander has said directly, is that his backhand is entirely his mother’s creation, according to EssentiallySports.
Alexander Sr., meanwhile, coached both sons to professional careers even with Mischa and Sascha playing widely different styles. The father continues to travel the tour with Alexander as his head coach.
“My parents are very calm,” Alexander said back in 2017. “They understand what I am doing, and they have both been playing pro tennis so they know how to behave.”
Brother Mischa Once Beat Andy Murray
Mikhail “Mischa” Zverev was born Aug. 22, 1987, a decade before Sascha, and built a professional tennis career that reached a career-high world ranking of No. 25. His most prominent result came at the 2017 Australian Open, where he defeated Andy Murray in the fourth round. He retired from the ATP Tour in 2023.
The brothers were close growing up. Alexander described the dynamic not as rivalry but as mentorship.
“There’s no rivalry, except when we play each other but that doesn’t happen very often,” he said in 2013. “It helps me a lot, because he’s been through it, he’s been through all the steps, and now he’s a professional.” Mischa started playing at age 2 under their father’s instruction — eight years before Sascha was even born.
Alexander Zverev Has a Daughter, Mayla
Mayla Zverev was born in March 2021 to Alexander and his then-girlfriend Brenda Patea, who announced the pregnancy after the pair split in 2020. Alexander and Patea have shared custody of Mayla since her birth, and she has become a presence at his tournaments over the years. The relationship between Mayla’s parents ended in acrimony. Patea filed domestic violence allegations against Alexander in a German court in 2023, a claim he denied, and the two later reached a settlement.
Alexander is currently in a relationship with Sophie Thomalla, a German model and television presenter. Mayla, now 5 years old, has been spotted courtside at multiple ATP events — creating a series of memorable moments between father and daughter during match weeks.
Alexander Zverev’s Parents and Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know