Alexander Zverev was very honest with his feelings following an opening round defeat at Wimbledon.
The German has experienced some tough defeats since losing the Australian Open final to Jannik Sinner in January.
Other than lifting the Munich Open title in April, the 28-year-old has not achieved what he set out to do this season, especially at the Grand Slams.
Zverev lost to Novak Djokovic at the French Open and perhaps his most crushing defeat came at Wimbledon, where Arthur Rinderknech beat Zverev in five sets.
Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for WorldChangerBoris Becker would have advised against Alexander Zverev going public with his feelings after Wimbledon
Wimbledon is Alexander Zverev’s weakest Grand Slam as this is the only major where he has yet to reach the final.
The 2025 season showed he has work to do to succeed on grass, and Zverev was disappointed to lose at Wimbledon so early int he tournament.
He admitted lacking joy both inside and outside of tennis and explained that he was struggling mentally.
His compatriot and six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker has since reacted to his comments, and while he expressed some empathy for the world number three, he wished he had dealt with his feelings privately.
“Ideally, you don’t open your heart when you’ve lost in the first round at Wimbledon. He did it consciously, he needed it,” Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games.
“I wanted to hug him at that moment, because I felt sorry for him. But it was his way of dealing with that disappointment.
“If I had been his coach at that moment, I would probably have hugged him beforehand and said: ‘Sascha, don’t say anything wrong now, just say your five sentences or don’t say anything at all and let’s discuss it in private.’
“But okay, he did it. I think he gained more sympathy as a result. People finally got to see Sascha Zverev as a person, not the superstar or someone who wins tournaments, but the person.”
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty ImagesBoris Becker explains why it was important for Alexander Zverev to express his feelings after losing at Wimbledon
In society today, professional athletes have become more open to discussing and prioritising their mental health.
Zverev has been commended for his bravery and while Becker would have advised him to deal with the matter privately, he thinks his comments can help him to feel better moving forward.
“I think he gained more sympathy as a result. People finally got to see Sascha Zverev as a person, not the superstar or someone who wins tournaments, but the person,” Becker added. “That’s something people generally forget about successful athletes.
“Yes, we are also human beings with feelings, emotions, hopes and doubts. We are not computers; we don’t function at the touch of a button.
“I am convinced that even now, two weeks later, he can live with it [what he said]. Hopefully, he will now make the right decisions for the next few years. And then maybe it was good that he gave us this revelation.
“Maybe it was necessary because I think it woke everyone up. His family, his partner, his inner circle. All thought: What’s going on here? We didn’t know that, we didn’t realise it. Maybe it was important that Sascha Zverev did that at that moment.”