Alexander Zverev and Boris Becker seem to be locked in a war of words at the moment, with the latter seeking to question his young compatriot’s coaching team.
As one of the big favourites to reach the Roland Garros final, his shock exit at the hands of a 39-year-old Novak Djokovic in just the quarter-finals sent alarm bells ringing.
For some, this was a classic case of an Alexander Zverev collapse, as sadly seen far too often at Grand Slam events.
However, for Becker, it was much deeper, encouraging the 28-year-old to dismiss his father and brother from his coaching team in order to progress.
It seems that their feud is not quite over yet either.
Alexander Zverev reacts to Boris Becker snub
Speaking at his press conference after yesterday’s hard-fought but relatively routine win over Brandon Nakashima, he was somewhat blunt in his responses.
However, he unsurprisingly spoke glowingly about the event and being able to return to his home country for another event to kickstart the grass-court season.
There was one particular question that left him a little irked though, with one reporter wondering whether he had been in any contact with Becker during his time in Stuttgart.
Asked if their lack of communication bothered him, Zverev stated: ‘I think we’ve already discussed this. I have nothing more to say. I was surprised, because normally when we’re in the same place he always writes to me. This was the first time that wasn’t the case.’
Continuing to chat about the home atmosphere, Zverev stated: ‘I love playing at home. When the crowd supports you, it’s always special. It’s just different at home; you get more support.’
Despite this controversy, Andre Agassi still thinks Zverev has one shot that’s the best in the world.
This is not the first time that Zverev has answered questions on Becker, as he did deliver a swift retort to that aforementioned claim about his coaching team.
Admitting his surprise at his fellow German’s indignation, he stated: ‘When things are going well for me, I always do everything right.
‘When things are going badly for me, everyone else is very, very clever. Unfortunately, Boris is one of them, and so is Barbara Rittner.
‘I don’t know why she [Rittner] suddenly has so much to say about my tennis career. To be honest, I don’t take her opinion seriously. Firstly, because of that, and secondly, because I think she’s wrong.
‘I lost to Djokovic. Maybe it wasn’t my best match, but I thought he played very well – it was just difficult.
‘And to be honest, I talked to Boris a lot, had a lot of contact with him before he made those statements. Before this crew had all that to say, I had a great relationship with him. I don’t know why it all has to be like this now.’
It always seems a shame to see two legends of the sport in one country arguing in such a fashion, but Becker has never been afraid of sharing his mind even when uncalled for.
However, continuing to snub Zverev suggests this is not an issue that will die down quietly.
