World No. 2 Alexander Zverev has revealed a surprising personal view: he doesn’t enjoy eating and sees food as a chore rather than a pleasure.
“Eating is kind of a waste of time for me,” Zverev told Bestbesetzung on MagentaTV. “If someone gave me a pill so I’d never have to eat again, I’d take it.”
The German tennis star added that while he doesn’t eat unhealthily, he eats “incredibly little” and often needs to be reminded or pushed to eat.
“I don’t eat badly, but I have to be forced to eat,” said the 27-year-old. “Even on vacation, I don’t enjoy food like others. I usually come back two kilos lighter.”
Zverev, who stands at 1.98 meters and weighs 90 kg, said that things have improved slightly with age.
“When I was younger, it was much worse. I now weigh 10 to 15 kilos more than I did five or six years ago.”
This isn’t the first time Zverev has expressed frustration with food. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he lost in the quarter-finals to Lorenzo Musetti, Zverev openly criticized the Olympic Village’s accommodations.
“We struggled with the food and sleeping conditions,” he said. “There was no air conditioning, and the food wasn’t great. I think Tokyo was much better in every way.”
Despite his nutritional challenges, Zverev continues to compete at the highest level, though his recent form has raised concerns as he searches for consistency on the ATP Tour.
