Taylor Fritz defeated world No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the Halle Open semi-final on June 20, 2026, winning in three sets 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5 after a two-hour and 39-minute match [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Zverev, who had just won his first Grand Slam at the French Open earlier that month, suffered a glucose sensor malfunction during the match. The sensor gave incorrect readings, causing him to inject excess insulin and experience sugar issues. He consumed about 350 grams of sugar in the first 45 minutes and said he felt "absolutely terrible" during the match [3, 5].
"I had huge problems with the sugar because the sensor I use gave me a completely incorrect reading," Zverev said. "It indicated very high values when they were actually low, so I injected much more insulin than I should have." He added, "This is the first time something like this has happened to me. I've been using these sensors since 2016 or 2017, and in nine years, I had never seen such a big error." Despite his condition, Zverev praised Fritz's performance, saying, "Taylor deserved the win. He played better than me today." [3]
Fritz has now won seven consecutive matches against Zverev, extending his dominant streak against the German player [2]. Fritz said he noticed Zverev's struggle during the match and stayed focused. "I felt he was struggling with something, I'm not sure what it was - presumably how insanely hot it was. I felt better than he did, so that was what I needed to tell myself to go to work," Fritz said [2].
Zverev, however, stated that the sensor malfunction is not expected to affect his preparations for Wimbledon, which starts June 29, 2026. "The issue was not a concern ahead of Wimbledon," he said [3].
Fritz will face either Daniel Altmaier or Frances Tiafoe in the Halle Open final scheduled for Sunday, June 21, 2026 [1, 2, 4].
