Billie Jean King makes feelings clear on Alexander Zverev winning French Open

Sian Jones Mon, June 8, 2026 at 10:23 AM UTC

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Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev won his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open (Image: Getty)

Billie Jean King has shared her reaction after Alexander Zverev finally captured a maiden French Open title.

Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in a gripping Roland Garros final to secure his first Grand Slam title. The 29-year-old Olympic gold medalist had previously fallen short in three major finals, but finally broke through on his fourth attempt under the roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Zverev received a flood of congratulatory messages after his breakthrough victory, but one of the most meaningful came from the American tennis great. Following the German's triumph, King took to social media to salute his achievement, congratulating him on becoming the first man with type 1 diabetes to win a Grand Slam singles title.

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"Congratulations to @AlexZverev on his very first Grand Slam Singles title! He is also the first man with Type 1 Diabetes to win a major. What a victory for everyone living with this disease," she said.

King's message carried extra significance given her own experience with the condition. The 12-time Grand Slam singles champion publicly revealed in 2007 that she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

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However, King's post quickly sparked debate on social media, with some users criticizing the tennis icon for celebrating Zverev's French Open triumph without referencing the allegations that have surrounded the German in recent years.

The reaction drew particular attention because of King's long-standing role as one of the most influential advocates for women's rights and equality in sport, making her public support of Zverev a talking point among fans.

Zverev had come agonizingly close to Grand Slam glory on multiple occasions, only to see victory slip from his grasp. In the 2020 US Open final, he squandered a two-set lead before losing to Dominic Thiem in five sets.

Billie Jean King has been critcized for congratulating Zverev (Image: Getty)

Four years later at Roland-Garros, the German again found himself in control, leading Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one in the final, but was unable to close out the match.

"This court is so special to me in so many ways. I've had the best moments of my life on this court; I had the worst moment of my life on these courts," Zverev said, recalling the devastating ankle injury he suffered during his 2022 French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal, which forced him to leave the court in a wheelchair and ultimately undergo season-ending surgery.

"I was laying in that corner over there four years ago with seven broken ligaments and two fractured bones. I lost a Grand Slam final here two years ago but now finally it's a happy end."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”