Alexander Zverev has advanced to his first Wimbledon final, but one of the most crucial members of his entourage will not be in attendance. The German confirmed after his semi-final win that his grandmother, Natalia, who was present during his run to the French Open title last month, is unable to travel to London because of a visa problem tied to her nationality.

“She doesn’t have a visa. She unfortunately has a Russian passport still,” he explained in the press conference. “I know that our chancellor is coming to the final, so maybe he can help with a passport or a longer visa for her. Then she can stay a bit longer.” 

His grandmother had to return home after her permitted 90-day stay expired under visa regulations, and Zverev is now hopeful that someone within his circle might be able to help resolve the situation for future events. 

Natalia only became a regular presence on tour earlier this year after the death of Zverev’s grandfather. Explaining why the family brought her from Sochi to Europe during the French Open, Zverev said, “My grandfather unfortunately passed away some time ago. That’s why we brought her to Europe.” He added that being close to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren was a better situation than living alone back home.

Her presence in Paris was clearly important to him, and Zverev spoke warmly about how much he appreciated her being there during the title run. Although she has never had a coaching role in his career, Natalia quickly became one of his most enthusiastic supporters, regularly applauding big points from the player box throughout Roland Garros. That Roland Garros win was the first Grand Slam title of his career, made even more meaningful by having close family present. In such a special moment again, he hopes to have her in the crowd.

The visa issue also fed into one of the quirkier revelations of the day, concerning Zverev’s own habits during major tournaments. When a reporter asked whether he would at least receive a good luck message before the final from his grandmother, Zverev revealed he would have no way of doing so easily. 

“Well, my phone is off so I don’t tend to speak to anyone, to be honest,” he said. “My phone has been off for years during slams. My phone is never on during slams.”

Zverev booked his place in Sunday’s final with a controlled 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4 win over British wildcard Arthur Fery. This ended the home favorite’s fairytale run and sent Zverev into a Grand Slam final for the fifth time in his career, but his first at Wimbledon, the only major where he had never previously reached the championship match. It caps a remarkable season for the world No. 3, who now has the chance to become just the seventh man in the Open Era to complete the Roland Garros and Wimbledon double in the same year.

Sascha will need all his concentration on Sunday, as he takes on the defending champion, Jannik Sinner. The Italian defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to reach the final, setting up their first-ever meeting on grass. The matchup could hardly be more daunting for the German, who has lost his last nine meetings against Sinner, including four already this year.

The German has already proved some of the statistics wrong that were against him in this Championship. Against sixth seed Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, Zverev snapped a seven-match losing streak in their head-to-head by defeating the American in straight sets, underlining the confidence he has carried since Paris.

Alexander Zverev and Sinner have been the two most successful players on tour this season, holding the top two spots in terms of match wins in 2026. Moreover, since winning the French Open, the 29-year-old has looked like a different player, making him a formidable contender for a second consecutive Grand Slam title.