Alexander Zverev had some strong words when addressing Boris Becker's criticism as the world No. 3 claims the German tennis legend does not really care about him and only wants to get some attention.
Becker, who returned to working as a tennis expert after being released from prison, often gives his take on Zverev.
After Zverev lost to Novak Djokovic in the French Open quarterfinal and once again failed to win a Grand Slam, Becker suggested that the time was running out for the world No. 3 and that it was time for him to overhaul his coaching staff and replace his father and brother with different coaches. When the 28-year-old opened up about his battle with depression following a Wimbledon first-round loss, the German tennis icon claimed that he cried after hearing about the news.
During this past Asian swing, Zverev went only 3-2 as he exited Beijing in the quarterfinal and had a third-round outing in Shanghai. Reflecting on his results in China, Becker said that the world No. 3 sometimes gives him "a headache" and told the 28-year-old to "avoid distractions."
Zverev: Becker is looking for attention, and gets it through me
"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 and I'm full of confidence that I'll find my form again and play good tennis again. And 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," the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist told BILD.
In Vienna, Zverev is the second seed and plays against qualifier Jacob Fearnley in the first round. The German tennis star won Vienna in 2021.
