One would think, given their shared nationality, Alexander Zverev and Boris Becker would be an ideal duo for a coaching partnership, as the only World No. 1s in men’s tennis from their country. However, over the years, the two have had a rocky rapport off the court, something that was on display when the former World No. 1 dismissed the current World No. 1 from his list of prospective candidates for a return to the ATP Tour.
“I have to be the boss in the ring. If a family member then has a different opinion, in a language I don’t understand, in this case Russian, then it’s unacceptable,” said Becker in an interview with DerSpeigel while talking about Zverev. “I was in his box at many matches, I was on the practice court, and I actively supported him. We’ve had our ups and downs. I’m 30 years older than him, I have children his age. You have to tell these young people what they don’t like to hear sometimes. That might motivate them even more; they think, ‘What’s he talking about? I’ll show that old guy.’ That’s okay. The main thing is that he wins. And he did this year. There have been several inquiries, of course I won’t mention any names! Let’s see what happens next year.”
Zverev’s coaching team has long been helmed by his father, Alexander Zverev Sr., with the German often reluctant to let his father go from his team setup. The World No. 1 has had some high-profile coaches in his corner like Juan Carlos Ferrero or Ivan Lendl, but none of them were long-lasting, as the styles of the outside coaches often clashed with the established team setup of Zverev’s, which has even featured his brother, Mischa Zverev, from time to time.
On the other hand, Becker had one massive coaching stint on the ATP Tour, when the German was at the helm of Novak Djokovic’s team from 2013 to 2016. During his time on the Serb’s team, the German helped the former World No. 1 win six Major titles, completing the Career Slam at the 2016 French Open. Becker was instrumental in helping Djokovic modify his serve, making the shot impregnable on all surfaces, something which helped the German himself win six Major titles during his playing days.
Becker did have a short stint with Holger Rune, but the arrangement was short-lived, while the Dane did make it to the ATP Finals in 2023 under Becker’s guidance. As for Becker’s views on giving blunt assessments to players as a coach, the approach does have its effects on veterans like Novak Djokovic, but a similar approach could also bring a breakdown in a partnership, as seen in the case of Goran Ivanisevic and Stefanos Tsitsipas, where the Croatian’s harsh assessments of the Greek’s game did not sit well with the latter.
This is not the first time that Becker has made slightly negative comments about Zverev. Speaking to the same publication a few days ago, the former World No.1 had a harsh critique of Zverev’s popularity in his home country, questioning his family background and his lack of linguistic transparency while giving interviews in German, which was not the case when he spoke in English. Zverev was not one to remain quiet, as he had a frustrated retort to Becker’s remarks as well.
Becker has not named any player for his potential coaching return, but one would think partnering with the former World No.1 would not be a bad idea for Zverev, who is fielding a lot of questions despite ascending to the top of the sport.
Alexander Zverev Had a Rocky Start as a World No.1
Zverev became only the fifth player to lose his debut match as the World No.1 at the Paris Masters, as the 2024 champion was beaten by Lorenzo Musetti in the second round. After the loss, the German painted a frustrated picture, expressing his discontent at being asked about his ranking.
There has been a mixed narrative around Zverev’s ascent to World No.1, despite the German winning over 60 matches this season and two Majors. The major source of contention has been the World No.1’s poor record against Top-10 opposition, including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Not to mention, there has been a spotlight on the draws that the German received during his title runs at the French Open and the US Open, which had only one Top-10 player, while Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were absent from the French Open and the US Open, respectively due to injury.
Zverev still has the ATP Finals to ensure a strong end to the season, and he is motivated to start the next season well, especially by improving his record against the top players.