Alexander Zverev, 28, issued one very honest confession while speaking with a couple of former American tennis stars, revealing that he retired against Mischa Zverev in the 2014 Houston qualifying only because he "could not beat" his brother.
Mischa, a former world No. 25, thrashed his brother 6-0 6-1 when they met in the 2012 Dallas Challenger qualifying. Two years later - just before Alexander's 17th birthday - they clashed in the Houston qualifying first round. This time, it was a much more contested battle as a 16-year-old Alexander took a set off his brother. But with Mischa leading 7-5 4-6 3-2, the younger of the two brothers got overwhelmed - went to the net - and shook his brother's hand.
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Alexander Zverev: I just couldn't beat my brother so I pulled out
"We actually played one more time in Houston, but we played in qualies in 2014. And I actually, don't know if people know that, he (Mischa) knows that, we played a very long three-set match. We played for like, three hours, and then it was like 3-2 in the third set. I think I was up 3-2 in the third set with a break, and I felt so bad that I pulled out. Yeah, I pulled out, I couldn't beat him. I just couldn't do it," the three-time Grand Slam runner-up confessed on the Nothing Major Show.
Four years after their Houston meeting, the Zverev brothers met again. At the time of their third meeting, Alexander had already become one of the best in the game and he ended up beating his older brother 6-3 7-5 in the 2018 Washington first round.
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Mischa, who is 10 years older than his brother, officially retired from pro tennis in 2023 but he barely played across the 2021 and 2022 seasons since he joined his brother's team years ago.
The Zverev brothers evidently have a great relationship, but still you rarely see a player admitting that they just couldn't beat the rival standing on the other side of the net.
