Alexander Zverev accuses Becker of trying to 'get attention' with negative comments about him

Tuesday, 21 October 2025 at 13:17

byErik Virostko

Alexander Zverev hit back at Boris Becker over the legend's recent comments about him.

Germany is one of the countries that has a rich history in tennis. Boris Becker, Steffi Graf, but also the likes of Angelique Kerber and Michael Stich, won major titles for the country. Alexander Zverev, so far, isn't among the players who would make the German fans happy by winning a major, and maybe that's one of the reasons why he faces criticism back home.

There is no doubt that Zverev is a talented player. He was only a few points away from reaching the world No. 1 rank in 2022, and has won seven ATP Masters 1000 titles, two ATP Finals titles, and an Olympic gold medal.

His talent is undeniable, but one thing that he is often criticized for is his passive approach. Early on in Zverev's career, Becker used to praise the fellow German, but that has changed in recent years. Today, Becker appears to be one of Zverev's loudest critics.

Speaking on his podcast with Andrea Petkovic, Becker said that watching Zverev currently gives him a headache, which sounded like a harsh criticism of the currently most successful German player on Tour.

"World class looks different. I really thought he was knocking on the door of (Jannik) Sinner and (Carlos) Alcaraz. Nothing new is happening in his box either. There's his father, there's his brother - the same faces as always."

"He's a problem child right now. I really get a bit of a headache when I think about Sascha Zverev. He needs to turn things around again for the last two or three tournaments of the year."

Zverev was obviously made aware of those comments. He was asked about Becker during an interview with German publication BILD. Zverev explained that he stopped caring about what Becker says, as he thinks the German legend tries to get attention with negative comments about him.

"I think he’s relatively unconcerned about me, to be honest. I think he’s looking for a bit of attention, and he gets it through me. Unfortunately, that’s the case. But I don’t care anymore."

"Everything will work out. I’m full of confidence that I’ll find my form again and play good tennis again. Now there are tournaments that I really like indoors, Vienna and Paris, where I won last year. I think I can play good tennis there again."

Zverev will have a chance to prove his qualities in the closing stages of the 2025 season. He is set to compete at the Vienna Open and also at the Paris Masters before heading to Turin for the ATP Finals.

The German player will also represent his country at the Davis Cup Finals in Italy, possibly giving his country and Becker a reason to cheer for him. Zverev is only one of three Top 10 players set to compete at the event.