Alexander Zverev’s first week as world No. 1 was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, it has turned into a public argument with the only other German man who has ever held the top spot.
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It was sparked by Boris Becker’s interview with the German weekly Der Spiegel. Asked why Zverev has still not won over the hearts of Germans, the 58-year-old offered several theories, from his family background to the way he handles the German media. Zverev did not hold back when the comments were put to him after his exit in Paris.
“I think he’s talking a lot of nonsense, as usual. I don’t know what’s going on with him right now, but I have the feeling he has to comment on everything I do,” Sascha said. “I think he’s currently looking for anything to put me down a bit. He can do that, let him.”
Becker’s reasoning went beyond tennis, and it began with world No.1’s parents’ ethnicity.
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“His parents are Russian and he speaks Russian with his team during matches. Plus, he doesn’t speak out publicly about the Ukraine war, something I can personally understand, but which evidently doesn’t help him win over the affection of the German public,” the six-time Grand Slam champion said in the interview.
Though Zverev admitted he has only read small portions of Becker’s interview, he found this criticism the most bizarre.
“I found it strange that he thinks I should express my political views. For whatever reason,” Zverev stated. “I have a very clear opinion on that. Nobody has ever asked me about it. I’m not going to go on Instagram and post any comments. That’s not me, I’ve never done that, and I never will.”
Sascha was born in Hamburg to parents who both played tennis for the Soviet Union, and he has represented Germany throughout his career.
There was a list of complaints, and the next in line was about how Zverev presents himself at home.
“In German interviews, he usually comes across as pretty dry and curt, and he’s not especially kind to journalists either,” the 58-year-old added in the interview. “However, when he speaks in English, he’s much more likable, has charm, a sense of humor, and knows how to laugh at himself.”
Becker also claimed the spectators in Zverev’s last three Grand Slam finals had been predominantly on his opponent’s side. Zverev disagreed.
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“I felt that in Paris, 70 percent of the people were for me. In Wimbledon, I played against Jannik Sinner, and it was more or less 50/50,” the 29-year-old said. Only in New York, he admitted, were the fans largely behind Ben Shelton.
Eventually, the senior German statesman did point out the qualities he admires about Zverev and ended on a softer note.
“In private, I’ve met a charming and fun Sascha. I think he should open up more and let people get to know him. If he wants to be respected more and even liked, especially in his own country, he has to put in some effort himself,” Becker said.
The advice and complaints may come from a well-wisher’s perspective, but the timing could not be worse for Zverev, who had spent the week defending his ranking.
Why does Alexander Zverev keep having to defend his No. 1 ranking?
Alexander Zverev became world No. 1 on November 2, the 30th man to reach the top of the ATP Rankings and only the second German after Boris Becker in 1991. At 29, he is the second-oldest player to get there for the first time, behind only John Newcombe.
His first match at the summit ended in a 7-6(5), 6-2 loss to Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the Paris Masters, and he admitted he “played really bad.”
He was also bitterly annoyed by how often he was asked to justify his position. “I don’t think anybody had to explain themselves as much as I had to do,” he said.
There are plenty of reasons for those doubts. Sinner has not played since winning Wimbledon because of a knee problem, and Carlos Alcaraz missed the clay and grass seasons with a wrist injury. The two have been at the helm for two years now, and so a change of names at the top has raised questions about timing.
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German’s record against the top-10 bracket has not helped. After the Vienna loss against Alex de Minaur, his record against top 10 opponents stands at 3-9 record in 2026.
However, what Zverev achieved this season is quite remarkable. He is 64-16 for the season and has secured the year-end No. 1 ranking with his first two majors at Roland Garros and the US Open. He even reached the Wimbledon final and the Australian Open semifinals, and lost only to Sinner or Alcaraz at the four Slams.
For the longest time, he was considered the best player in the history of the sport to never win a major, and this year he broke that notion. He had lost his first three Grand Slam finals at the 2020 US Open, Roland Garros in 2024, and the Australian Open in 2025.
Even though Sascha might feel that he is the first one to feel the animosity, he is far from the first No. 1 to face scepticism. Thomas Muster, Marcelo Rios, Carlos Moya and Marat Safin all held the top spot for short spells in the years before Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray took over. Rios never won a Grand Slam. More recently, Daniil Medvedev climbed to No. 1 in February 2022, when Djokovic was ineligible to play a number of tournaments on account of his vaccination status.
All of them remain on that list, and so does Zverev. Becker and others may continue to talk, but the ranking will remain unchanged.
