Alexander Zverev and Boris Becker are locked in a public dispute after Becker criticized the world number one’s media demeanor in a Spiegel interview, SPORT1 reported.
The friction surfaced late in October at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, where Zverev alluded to persistent domestic criticism without naming Becker directly, Kurier reported. Becker subsequently addressed the tension in his podcast, Becker Petkovic, stating that a power struggle had emerged between them that ought not to exist.
Becker argued that Zverev acts too spontaneously during interviews and plays into the hands of tabloid media, according to Blick. Zverev fired back following his second-round exit at the Paris Masters, dismissing Becker’s remarks as nonsense and accusing him of trying to tear him down.
Tommy Haas Defends Zverev
Tommy Haas defended Zverev against constant comparisons to Becker, telling Sport Bild that such parallelisms are unfair. Haas acknowledged that Becker elevated German tennis when he won Wimbledon at age 17, but emphasized that few players can match that historic standard.
“Boris, as he won Wimbledon at 17, took us all on that journey,” said Haas, former world number two, to Sport Bild.
“The matches he turned around, his outbursts of anger, his spectacular play—that was awesome,” Haas added.
Haas insisted that Zverev’s spot at the top of the rankings is fully deserved despite questions regarding his win-loss record against top-10 opponents.
“The ranking points don’t lie, Zverev is completely rightfully number one,” Haas told Sport Bild.
Haas also said that Zverev maintains exceptional physical fitness, suffering only a foot ligament tear at the 2002 French Open throughout his career due to hard training. Haas praised Zverev's tactical development, stating that he comes to the net more frequently, has strengthened his forehand, and serves with greater consistency.
Becker Compares Zverev's Outbursts to His Own Children
Becker stood by his original interview remarks during a podcast episode with Andrea Petkovic, reported BUNTE.de. He compared Zverev’s emotional outbursts to those of his own children.
“Sascha is 29, I am twice as his age,” Becker said in the Becker Petkovic podcast.
“They say things spontaneously in the affect where I say: guys, think about it. And a week later they come back and say: I expressed myself wrongly or chose the wrong words,” Becker continued.
Becker also pointed to Zverev’s management team as a source of friction, suggesting handlers feed athletes brief headlines rather than full context. DTB president Dietloff von Arnim praised Zverev’s consistency as the tour’s top-performing player this year, while declining to comment on Becker’s personal criticisms, reported Sport Bild.
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