Alexander Zverev’s Parents Couldn’t Watch Him in U.S. Open Final Due to Their Prior Positive COVID-19 Tests

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev was missing his parents when he took to the court for Sunday’s U.S. open final.

While giving his runner-up speech following the conclusion of the match — which he lost to Dominic Thiem — Zverev teared up while speaking about how his parents, who had tested positive for coronavirus ahead of the tournament, couldn’t be with him for the big moment.

“There's some special people missing in the crowd today," the 23-year-old player said, beginning to tear up. "I want to thank my parents.”

“They're always with me in every single tournament I go to and unfortunately my dad and my mother tested positive before the tournament and they couldn't have gone with me,” he added, before adding that even though he didn’t win, he was confident his parents were still “pretty proud.”

Continuing he said, “I wish one day that I can bring the trophy home.”

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Alexander Zverev

Speaking about his parents’ health at a later press conference, the tennis pro shared they they were doing “fine.”

"They're actually negative already,” he said, according to USA Today. “(The positive tests are) the reason they didn't come here.”

Referencing his emotion-filled speech on the court, Zverev noted that losing after having won the first two sets was not an easy experience. “At the speech, I got emotional. I couldn't put two words together. I don't actually remember what I said. It was a difficult moment for me,” he said.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images (2) Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem

The four-hour match concluded in five sets, with Thiem winning the final three — marking the second deciding set tiebreak in a men's final since the 2019 Wimbledon match when Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer.

Speaking about the epic battle afterward, Thiem remarked on social media that although it hadn’t been easy, the final was a fitting nod to his career.

“It had to be like this - my career was always like the match today - many ups and downs," he wrote on social media, adding that he loved "the way it turned out."