"I think he's looking for a bit of attention" - Alexander Zverev pays no notice to harsh comments from Boris Becker

Alexander Zverev has replied to criticism received from former world number one Boris Becker, claiming that the German is after attention.

The world number three has endured a tough year, not reaching the dizzying heights that he is targeting. The year started positively after he defeated Novak Djokovic to reach the Australian Open, only to be defeated by a rampant Jannik Sinner. After disappointing results in the opening Masters 1000 events of the year, the former world number two claimed his first and so far, only title of 2025, winning his third Bavarian Championships title in a straight sets victory over Ben Shelton.

From this point his results started to improve, reaching the quarter-finals of Roland Garros and the Rome Open before reaching his third final of the year. However, he was unable to clinch more glory on home soil, losing out in three sets to Taylor Fritz. He exited in the semi-finals in Halle before a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon got people murmuring about his Grand Slam record once more.

Back-to-back semi-finals in the Canadian and Cincinnati Open were missed opportunities for more silverware, before a third-round exit in the US Open to eventual semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime brought up more questions on the German. With his Asian swing completed without any titles or even a final, the world number three has been in the firing range for many pundits and fans, including fellow countryman Becker.

The six-time Grand Slam champion has not held back when discussing Zverev, previously tagging him as a 'problem child.' He went on to criticise the people in Zverev's camp, wanting more from his father and brother who regularly support him when on court.

“Nothing is happening in his box either," Becker said on his podcast with former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic. "There's his father and his brother. They're the same faces for years and years. If things were going well, I'd be the first to congratulate him and say: 'We have a superstar now'. But I'm a bit worried about what comes next."

Despite all of this said about him, the 2021 Olympic champion has pushed these claims away, not wanting to get dragged into an unnecessary negativity as he ramps up preparations for the final events of 2025. "I think he's relatively unconcerned about me, to be honest," Zverev said in an interview with Bild. "I think he's looking for a bit of attention, and he gets it through me. Unfortunately, that's the case. But I don't care anymore. Everything will work out. I'm full of confidence that I'll find my form again and play good tennis again."

Instead of focusing on Becker, Zverev will cast his eye to the Vienna Open, a tournament he previously triumphed in, defeating Frances Tiafoe in the final of the 2021 edition. He will be hoping for a decent result to close in on qualification for the ATP Finals for the eighth time in nine years. It is an event he has had great memories from in the past, clinching the grand prize in 2018 against Djokovic and 2021 against Daniil Medvedev.

Adding to that, he will return to Paris as the reigning champion of the Paris Masters, with 1000 ranking points to defend in the culminating Masters 1000 event in 2025. His position in the rankings could become under peril in the coming months, with the title in Paris, and ATP Finals semi-final and an Australian Open final all to defend with the chasing pack coming in hot. This should give the 28-year-old the motivation to end the year on a high note.