Alexander Zverev fires back at former World No. 1 Boris Becker after French Open elimination

Alexander Zverev delivered a respectable performance at Roland Garros, reaching the quarterfinals before falling in four sets to Novak Djokovic. However, following that defeat, German legend Boris Becker offered a critical analysis of the current World No. 3’s performance that sparked controversy.

“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,” said Boris on Eurosport’s Matchball Becker show. “There are reasons for this, and a critical analysis is necessary.”

The former World No. 1 then pointed to the absence of major titles in Alexander’s career. “The dream of a Grand Slam title isn’t over, but with every missed opportunity, it becomes more difficult,” he said. “Against superstars like Djokovic or Sinner and Alcaraz, you have to win the points. They don’t give you gifts and don’t get nervous. You have to be the one who acts more aggressively and believes in winning.”

Finally, he took aim at Zverev’s coaching team, composed of his father Alexander Sr. and his brother Mischa: “At some point you need new noises and a new environment. It’s the same in football, as a football coach you don’t normally stay with a club for 10 years… His father and brother did an excellent job, but it wasn’t good enough for the final step.”

German legend Boris Becker

Zverev’s response to Becker

After arriving in Stuttgart for the ATP 250 event there, Zverev was asked about Becker’s remarks and gave a firm response. “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,” Alexander began.

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“I lost to Djokovic. Not to Hans-Peter, who is ranked 250th in the world. Sure, it’s bitter for me. I really wanted to win the French Open and go far. But it happened the way it did, and we’ll keep looking at how we can improve my game,” said the World No. 3, defending his performance at Roland Garros.

Finally, Zverev spoke specifically about his relationship with Becker. “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,” said Alexander. “I still have enormous respect for him. He is an absolute legend, not only in sport, but in Germany in general, and also worldwide. I will always listen to what he has to say. But I don’t always have to agree with him.”

Zverev still chasing a Grand Slam title

Despite being one of the world’s top players for several years now, Alexander Zverev still has two major goals left unmet: reaching World No. 1 and winning a Grand Slam. He has come close on both fronts. Earlier this year, he spent several weeks as World No. 2 behind Jannik Sinner, but a series of early exits prevented him from closing the gap—and eventually, Carlos Alcaraz overtook him.

As for the major tournaments, Zverev has had several near-misses. His first was the 2020 US Open, where he lost in the final to Dominic Thiem. He also reached the final in Roland Garros 2024 (lost to Carlos Alcaraz) and the Australian Open 2025 (fell to Jannik Sinner). Wimbledon, however, has proven more difficult—he has never advanced beyond the fourth round there.