Becker comes out in defense of Zverev
The former world number 1 did not like at all the criticism claiming that the German tennis player won his first two Grand Slams due to the shortcomings of his rivals.
Alexander Zverev has extended his great form by winning the 2026 US Open, his second Grand Slam of his career and the second he has achieved in just 3 months after Roland Garros. Despite being the most in-form player on the circuit currently, many detractors have emerged claiming that he has won due to the injuries of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, something that has not pleased his compatriot Boris Becker, who has come to his defense.
Including Roland Garros and the US Open, 'Sascha' has faced only two top 20 players. Moreover, in each of those Grand Slams, either Sinner or Alcaraz was missing, while he did not face the other because he lost along the way. Therefore, many voices have stated that Zverev has taken advantage of this situation to shine, as whenever he competes against his two main rivals, he always loses in the major tournaments, as happened in the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Becker does not believe Zverev is to blame for this, and has labeled all those criticisms toward the German player's figure as disrespectful.
"Critics came saying: 'Yes, he only won because Alcaraz and Sinner did not play, or Alcaraz did play and Sinner was injured. Or 'He had an easy draw.' Point one: it's not his fault if Sinner gets injured beforehand. It's not his fault if Alcaraz was injured for four months and, fortunately, he has returned and in the quarter-finals against Shelton he loses. It’s not his fault if all his favorites in that half lose early. He can only defeat the opponent he faces on the court. In fact, I find it genuinely embarrassing. An incredible lack of respect toward his performance,” he stated in his podcast with Andrea Petkovic.
Becker calls for respect for Zverev
The truth is that Becker has a point, as it is not Zverev's fault that the other seeds have fallen along the way before meeting him. All 'Sascha' has done is maintain consistency and wait for his moment, and the results he refers to are visible to all, according to the former world number 1.
“He reached the final for the third consecutive Grand Slam. In fact, in Melbourne, where he served to win the match against Alcaraz in the semifinals, he should have also been in the final. This guy could have been in the finals of all four Grand Slams this year. He has been in three finals, he is the reigning champion of Roland Garros and the US Open, and the Wimbledon runner-up. Now, at the end of his career, people need to give him the respect he deserves,” he continued.
To conclude, he made it clear that he is not saying all this because he is his compatriot, but out of common sense after Alexander has shown to be the best tennis player in the world at the moment, although other circumstances come into play. "I am not wearing the German cap. I see him as an athlete, as a tennis player. Players who simply give their best deserve respect, and that’s why I am very pleased that Sascha has won.”
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Becker sale en defensa de Zverev