Boris Becker criticises Alexander Zverev and suggests he should fire his coaches
Alexander Zverev has been sent a warning about his Grand Slam hopes and some advice on his coaching team by tennis great Boris Becker after his exit at the 2025 French Open.
The world No 3 was beaten 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 by sixth seed Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
Zverev remains one of the most accomplished players in tennis history who has not won a Grand Slam title.
The German has struggled to find his best level since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final in January — his third defeat in a major championship match.
Speaking on Eurosport Germany, Becker argued it will only get more difficult for Zverev to make his Grand Slam breakthrough as he criticised his countryman’s passive play against Djokovic.
“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 the six-time major winner.
“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.
“The younger generation is getting better. The competition is not Djokovic’s generation, but that of [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner. They are five or six years younger – and then comes the next generation around [Joao] Fonseca and [Arthur] Fils. The sooner Zverev wins the Grand Slam title, the better it would be.
“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. You could see that at the beginning with Sascha, but unfortunately the longer the match lasted, the less so.”
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Becker suggested Zverev should end his coaching relationships with his father Alexander Zverev Sr. and his brother Mischa Zverev, using Rafael Nadal as an example.
“He had [Ivan] Lendl, [Juan Carlos] Ferrero, [David] Ferrer and [Sergi] Bruguera,” the former world No 1 said on Eurosport’s Matchball Becker show.
“It doesn’t get much better than that. But they were all always embedded with his father and his brother. And I don’t think anyone new will come along in this constellation.
“If you take a look at Nadal’s career. Toni Nadal was there for a long time, then Carlos Moya or Francisco Roig came along at some point. How is Sinner doing? There have now been three successful years with Darren Cahill. Now there’s a new one coming.
“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.
“He (Zverev) is the one who decides. He is the chairman of the board, the CEO. He decides what Team Zverev will look like in the future. His father and brother did an excellent job, but it wasn’t good enough for the final step.”
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