Shortly after losing to the 38-year-old in the quarterfinal of the French Open, the 2024 finalist Alexander Zverev said, “I think at the moment he’s (Novak Djokovic) a bit underrated to be honest.” He spoke about how even at this age, the Serb still manages to beat the best of the best. However, after missing out on another chance to clinch a major title, Zverev faced stern criticism from former German tennis players. For example, Barbara Rittner claimed that the impetus from outside can only come in when his father (Alexander Zverev Sr.) and brother (Mischa) take a back seat. Even the six-time Grand Slam champion, Boris Becker, shared a few words on the same. After seeing those criticisms, Zverev shot back himself. Now, Becker has yet again hit back with a four-word reply.

The banter keeps heating up! Well, during a previous interview with Eurosport Germany, Boris Becker said, “Sascha needs to think about why things haven’t been going as well throughout the entire clay-court season — and not just in Paris — as they did last season. There are reasons for this, and a critical analysis is necessary. The family needs to come together and openly address: ‘Why aren’t things going so well at the moment? The dream of a Grand Slam title isn’t over, but with every missed opportunity, it becomes more difficult.” He spoke about how the younger generations are getting better day by day and why Zverev needs to win against superstars like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner. 

Having said that, Becker gave a long list of coaches who had been part of Alexander Zverev’s team in the past, but he claimed they were all always embedded with his father and brother. While pointing out these issues, he asked if Zverev was satisfied being number 2 in the world or does he had bigger ambitions. After seeing these criticisms from Becker and Rittner, Zverev responded with, “When things are going well for me, I always do everything right. When things are going badly for me, everyone else is very, very clever. Unfortunately, Boris is one of them, and so is Barbara Rittner.“

He further added, “I don’t know why she [Rittner] suddenly has so much to say about my tennis career. To be honest, I don’t take her opinion seriously. Firstly, because of that, and secondly, because I think she’s wrong. I lost to Djokovic. Maybe it wasn’t my best match, but I thought he played very well – it was just difficult. And to be honest, I talked to Boris a lot, had a lot of contact with him before he made those statements. Before this crew had all that to say, I had a great relationship with him. I don’t know why it all has to be like this now.”

After seeing his comments, Becker shared that post on his X handle with the caption, “You are a**, word.” However, despite the back and forth, in his statement had also wrote that he would always talk to Becker because of the respect he held for him. Although he claimed that he would always listen to him, he also added, “I don’t always have to agree with him.”

Just like Zverev, Becker had also previously spoken about how they are in touch with each other on a regular basis. But is there a chance of him taking up the coaching role in his team? Well, in a previous interview, Becker had interestingly claimed, “I won’t be a coach. That will always remain his father.“

Now, coming back to his upcoming task, following his exit from the Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev is all set to start his campaign at the Stuttgart Open against the Frenchman, Corentin Moutet. Can Alexander Zverev get some wins under his belt before taking another aim at a major title at Wimbledon?

Nick Kyrgios makes a bold prediction for Alexander Zverev

So close, yet so far! Yes, that’s been the story for Alexander Zverev when it comes to chasing Grand Slam titles. He has already reached the finals of each of the major tournaments except Wimbledon. But he failed to deliver when it mattered the most on all three occasions. After his defeat to Jannik Sinner at the 2025 AO, earlier this season, a disheartened Zverev was also heard admitting, “Now looking back at it, I regret what I said. I regret saying that after the Grand Slam final that I’m maybe not good enough…“

Can he ever win a Slam, though? Well, according to the former world number 10, Arnaud Clement, “Zverev will not win the Australian Open, nor a Grand Slam tournament, but I could be wrong.” Reason? Lack of progress, unlike other players! “The German still hasn’t resolved his problems that we’ve known about for eight years now.“

However, Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios has a different opinion on this. He recently stated, “I think Zverev can win a Grand Slam. I think he genuinely can. Man, tennis fans are the worst. Tennis media are the worst. Zverev can win a Grand Slam. He has been finals of the US Open and one set away. He has been finals of Roland Garros, one set away. This guy has been to finals of Grand Slams and then one set away. One set!” What are your thoughts on this, though? Can he silence the doubters with a title triumph at Wimbledon? Well, his best record at the grass-court major has been reaching the fourth round. Share your opinions on this in the comment box.