“I know about sports”Becker reacted clearly to Zverev, who was very upset
Boris Becker and Alexander Zverev are the most successful players in German tennis history. The Becker era is over, Zverev is fighting hard for his legacy. And his successors were very annoyed by this legend.
After a dispute with Alexander Zverev regarding the ATP Finals, Boris Becker tried to smooth things over. “I am an expert and value credibility and openness,” he said in the “Becker Petkovic” podcast after the last annual tournament in Turin. He didn’t make his critical remarks about the tennis star “because I meant it badly, but because I also know something about the sport,” Becker said.
“I have a lot of respect. What the Zverev family has achieved is truly world class,” Becker said, adding that Zverev was “by far the best German tennis player.” The former Wimbledon winner remains convinced that the Hamburg native has the potential to achieve his biggest goals. “If he changed one or two little things,” Zverev would be “close to a number one and a Grand Slam win,” Becker said.
The former professional had described himself as Zverev’s “biggest fan” during the tournament, but had also repeatedly expressed his criticism via Sky’s microphone. After Zverev was eliminated in the group stage, he proved, among other things, that the 28-year-old had a “mental block” – Zverev was unable to cope with the “pressure” and “expectations” against Félix Auger-Aliassime.
Zverev’s reaction was brief. “To be honest, I’m tired of the comments,” he said when asked about Becker’s assessment.
Becker now says he knows “how the media business works” – and that “negative headlines attract more attention” than positive headlines. “I don’t mind it, I can accept it,” he stressed: “But I want to emphasize: I want Sascha Zverev to win.”
