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Boris Becker revealed that he broke down when he heard Alexander Zverev talk about his mental health not being in the right place both on and off the court. The World No. 3 had an early exit from Wimbledon after losing to Arthur Rinderknech in three sets in the opening round.
Alexander Zverev has been struggling to find his rhythm since the Australian Open finals loss to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. He faced back-to-back quarterfinal and Round of 16 exits until claiming the BMW Open title on home ground. He was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the French Open quarterfinals and faced a narrow loss to Taylor Fritz at the Boss Open.
After his Wimbledon stint was cut short, Zverev addressed mental health issues in a post-match press conference. He revealed he has been struggling to find his joy both on and off the court, and most of his days are lonely. The heartbreaking revelation stirred fellow German and six-time Grand Slam champion, Boris Becker, who admitted to crying while watching Zverev's conference live.
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“I watched the press conference live and I cried. A person opened up and said, ‘I have problems, I have mental problems, help me. I don’t have anyone around me except my daughter, who is four years old, with whom I like to spend time, where I laugh and smile’. This was a person who revealed himself and that’s why, for the first time, I’m a little worried about his mental health. He can play tennis, he’ll win tournaments, he’ll lose a few, but how is he doing personally?" he said in the Boris Petkovic podcast.
Boris Becker also shared that he reached out to Zverev immediately after and received a heads-up of his situation.
Boris Becker once suggested that Alexander Zverev change his coach
Boris Becker was once critical about Alexander Zverev's coaching situation despite sharing a good bond with him. Following a quarterfinal loss against Novak Djokovic at the French Open, the former suggested that Alexander Zverev stop coaching under his father, Alexander Sr, and brother Mischa.
"You get the impression that he plays in the same rut against the top players and hopes that the result will be good. The father and brother did a great job, but it wasn't good enough for the last step," said the former player.
In response, Alexander Zverev silenced Becker, saying that his win came against the greatest player, Novak Djokovic. He also talked about his and Becker's friendly terms until the latter made the statement.
"I still see myself as a candidate to compete against the two guys up there. I lost to Djokovic, not to Hans Peter, who is ranked 250 in the world.I also had a lot of contact with Boris before he made that statement. I still have massive respect for him. I will always listen to what he has to say, but I don't always have to agree."
The World No. 3 won the men's singles gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and made it to the US Open finals in 2020 and French Open finals in 2024.
