Tennis player Zverev avoids communication with coach Becker following tournament kickoff.
Zverev Chats About Becker Amid Grass Season Kickoff
Let's Get Chatty
Tennis sensation Alexander Zverev is on fire, storming the grass courts of Stuttgart. Fresh off a quarterfinal run, the 28-year-old can't help but address Boris Becker's antics once again. Zverev's reaction? A mix of surprise and disdain.
Stuttgart - Becker's been in the crosshairs, first lambasted in words, then engaged in courtroom battles: Alexander Zverev danced his way into the Stuttgart quarters. The German ace admitted he's yet to exchange words with tennis royalty Becker, insistently stating, "No contact whatsoever." He chuckled, "That's quite surprising."
Unpretty Play
Beating Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6:2, 7:6 (9:7) in 110 minutes, Zverev challenged his game, breaking Moutet's serve three times in the opening set while battling it out in the second. When asked about the match's aesthetics, he simply shrugged, labeling it "not the prettiest match of the world," but he seemed content with the victory. On Friday, he takes the court against Brandon Nakashima.
This was Zverev's first Weissenhof dance since 2019 and his comeback following a quarterfinal loss at the French Open. It was also his first match after firing back at Becker's jabs earlier in the week.
Engel Ascends
Before Zverev's quarterfinal charge, youngster Justin Engel already booked his first ATP Tour quarterfinal. The 17-year-old from Nuremberg outplayed seventh-seeded American Alex Michelsen 6:4, 6:4. Engel, deemed the youngest ATP quarterfinalist on grass since Becker's Wimbledon triumph 40 years ago, will next meet Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Biting Back
Zverev, fine-tuning his game for Wimbledon, was berated by Becker and Barbara Rittner following his quarterfinal loss to Serbian veteran Novak Djokovic in the French Open. Becker criticized Zverev's passivity and suggested parting ways with his father, Hans-Peter Zverev, as coach, citing Rafael Nadal as an example of success without family involvement in coaching[4].
Zverev swiftly replied, "When things go well for me, I always do everything right. And when things go badly, everyone suddenly becomes very, very smart. Unfortunately, Boris is part of that." Regarding Rittner's comments, he said he "doesn't take them seriously."
Sources:
- Zverev hits back over Becker criticism
- Boris Becker Wants Alexander Zverev to Fire Father as Coach
- Zverev hails 'incredible' win over Auger-Aliassime
- Boris Becker wants Alexander Zverev to sack father and coach
- Alexander Zverev, as he advances to the semifinals in the Stuttgart tournament, maintains his stance on Boris Becker, asserting that there has been no contact between them, despite the ongoing controversies.
- In the world of tennis, Zverev'sjunit against Corentin Moutet may not have been the prettiest, but a victory is a victory, and Zverev seems content with his progress, preparing for his next match against Brandon Nakashima.
