Becker praises Zverev as a deserved world number one despite their feud

Plot twist in German tennis: Boris Becker, who has just been on the receiving end of a sharp Alexander Zverev comeback, now says the new world number one has earned his spot. The two are still at odds in public. But Becker's tone has clearly softened.

What did Becker say?

In an interview with the newspaper Main-Post, the three-time Wimbledon champion called Zverev's work ethic the key. "Sascha Zverev maybe works harder than any other tennis player. That is the reason for his success, and you can't mention it often enough," Becker said.

He also dealt with the main criticism of Zverev's ranking. Rivals Jannik Sinner (Italy) and Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) were out injured for months. "That's not his fault. So: congratulations! It's the best thing that could have happened to German tennis that Sascha Zverev became number one," Becker said.

What was the row about?

A quick recap: on 2 November, Zverev became world number one, the first German to take the top spot since Becker's era. Since then, people in tennis have debated whether he deserves it. He has a losing record against top-ten players this year.

After his early exit at the Paris Masters, Zverev complained about that debate. He also hit back at Becker, who had commented on why the 2021 Olympic champion doesn't seem all that popular in Germany. "I think he's talking a lot of nonsense, as usual," Zverev said. He added that Becker seems to be looking for anything to put him down.

Becker's bigger point

Asked why it took 35 years for another German to follow him as world number one, Becker pointed to mentality. Young players may no longer be as driven as they were 20 years ago, he said. "Success doesn't come by chance. It takes a lot of work, diligence and will."

Young talents need a greater willingness to subordinate themselves to tennis, Becker said. He doesn't see a structural problem at the German Tennis Federation (DTB), the national governing body. For him it is "a mentality problem".

What's next?

The atmosphere between the two is still not great. Whether Zverev answers this time is open. For now, one thing is on record: Becker says the number one is deserved.