In general, the three-time Wimbledon winner has little sympathy for Zverev’s decision to play in Hamburg ahead of the French Open.
After the injured Alexander Zverev was knocked out in the round of 16 at the ATP tournament in Hamburg, Germany’s tennis idol Boris Becker showed a lack of understanding. “He said afterwards that he had a fever and that he had been vomiting during the night. That begs the question: Why did you play?” said the three-time Wimbledon winner at a Eurosport event on Thursday.
Especially with the French Open in Paris starting on Sunday, Becker considers Zverev’s last-minute decision to play in his hometown to be unwise. “He’s from Hamburg, it’s probably even his favorite tournament. That’s why I understand the emotional decision to take the wild card,” said the 57-year-old: ‘But when you’re in such poor physical shape, even now with the goal of playing successfully in Paris, Sascha Zverev has to realize that a few days’ rest are important.”
According to Becker, however, Wednesday’s three-set defeat at Rothenbaum against France’s Alexandre Müller is not the worst result. “I even think it might be an advantage that he was knocked out yesterday. That he is now forced, so to speak, to take a few days off to recover,” said Becker: “Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.”
