Alexander Zverev is currently not excelling either in his sport or with his statements. Boris Becker is appalled.
Alexander Zverev has once again experienced an early exit from the Shanghai Masters. Tennis legend Boris Becker does not hold back with his criticism.
“I actually thought in the summer that his performance was better after his break following Wimbledon. Then the US Open was disappointing,” Becker said on the Becker Petkovic podcast. The disappointment in New York was followed by a series of defeats. “We can explain all of that, but honestly, world-class looks different.”
A month after the US Open, Zverev lost his only match in the Laver Cup. This was followed by a defeat in the quarterfinals in Beijing against Daniil Medvedev, “not to mention his nemesis.” And now, after the incidents at Wimbledon, Arthur Rinderknech triumphed over him again at the Shanghai Masters.
Instead of Zverev, Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals. A surprise for Becker: “He’s really struggling to find his form right now.”
Becker appalled by Zverev’s statements
But that’s not all. Becker is also appalled by the German’s statements that tournament directors would prefer a final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and are therefore slowing down the surface and adjusting the match schedule accordingly.
A month after the US Open, Zverev lost his only match in the Laver Cup. This was followed by a defeat in the quarterfinals in Beijing against Daniil Medvedev, “not to mention his nemesis.” And now, after the incidents at Wimbledon, Arthur Rinderknech triumphed over him again at the Shanghai Masters.
Instead of Zverev, Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals. A surprise for Becker: “He’s really struggling to find his form right now.”
Becker appalled by Zverev’s statements
But that’s not all. Becker is also appalled by the German’s comments that tournament directors would prefer a final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and would therefore slow down the surface and adjust the match schedule accordingly.
In Becker’s opinion, a debriefing would be important. He should be told: “Sascha, you are entitled to your opinion, but what you have just said is factually incorrect.”
Don’t blame others
This statement was also backed up by podcast partner Andrea Petkovic, who explained that Sinner and Alcaraz had also been in the finals in Cincinnati and at the US Open in New York—on the fastest surfaces of the ATP Tour and the Grand Slams, respectively.
For Becker, it’s clear: instead of making false claims, Zverev needs to “focus on himself, on his own strengths, on how he can get healthy again, and on how he can continue to improve athletically.”
According to Becker, Zverev is “currently taking two steps back rather than one step forward. Sinner is not to blame for this, nor is Alcaraz, nor is a tournament director. He alone is responsible for his victories and defeats.”
He continued: “I hope he pulls himself together and finds the solution to his problems. He is very self-critical, which is commendable, but I don’t think he’s saying what the problem is and what he needs to improve. For me, that’s the next step, but we’ve been discussing it for weeks and months. I don’t see any improvement at the moment.”