"This year Alexander Zverev has to find himself again" - Boris Becker

Alexander Zverev's start to the 2021 season has been marked with a couple of major changes. First came the split from coach David Ferrer, after the two had worked together for just six months. That was quickly followed by Zverev's decision to part ways with Team8, the Roger Federer-founded agency that had been representing him.

The 23-year-old will now be leaning on his family for his coaching requirements, and on Mischa Zverev and Sergei Bubka for his management. In that context, German tennis legend Boris Becker recently opined that the past year has been a difficult one for Alexander Zverev.

Becker pointed out how despite the fact that Zverev achieved his best results at the Majors in 2020, he was also bogged down by various off-court issues.

"A lot has happened for Alexander Zverev in the last year, both athletically and privately," Becker said on a recent Eurosport podcast. "Sport-wise it was maybe his best, privately maybe the most difficult. That's what life is called, growing up."

Boris Becker is quite familiar with his younger countryman. The former World No. 1 captained Germany's ATP Cup team (led by Alexander Zverev) last year, and has also been the Head of Men's Tennis at the German Federation.

A six-time Grand Slam winner, Becker is equally well-versed with the pressures of top-level tennis and early fame. And the German legend believes Zverev will need to re-establish himself once again in 2021.

"I think it's a shame that Ferrer no longer trains him," Becker said. "The two seem to have found a good chemistry, which is shown by their success on the field. The coaches are very important. Zverev's father, of course, knows tennis inside out."

"It has to be seen how he is coping with these changes," the 53-year-old added. "Last year was perhaps his strongest year - also because of the people around him. This year he has to find himself again. Now Mischa Zverev will play a bigger role. He knows his brother inside out and was a world-class professional himself."

I expect him well into the second week: Becker on Alexander Zverev's chances at Australian Open 2021

Alexander Zverev at the 2020 Australian Open

Boris Becker believes that starting the season afresh with a different team will help Alexander Zverev hit the reset button.

Zverev, who has been as high as No. 3 in the rankings, reached his first Grand Slam semifinal 12 months ago at the Australian Open. He followed that up by reaching his first Grand Slam final at the US Open in September.

Becker expects the 23-year-old to go deep at the Australian Open again this year, although he believes World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is the firm favorite to win the title.

"You start from scratch and that has to be your expectations," Becker said. "He will play in (to) his form. I expect him well into the second week, but for me the top favorite is Novak Djokovic and not Zverev."