“An absolute disgrace” – Boris Becker calls out Alexander Zverev critics after Terrible US Open ‘disrespect’
Alexander Zverev arguably enjoyed the best season of his career in 2026, ending a 13-year Grand Slam drought and adding a second before the year ended. However, criticism and backlash have eclipsed his monumental success.
After opening his account at Roland Garros, he added another Grand Slam to his trophy cabinet at Flushing Meadows. Even though the World No. 2 German finished the year with more Grand Slams than any other men’s player on the tour, Zverev has been heavily scrutinised.
The two separate accounts of physical assault allegations made by his former partners have overshadowed his achievements on the court. While both cases remain unproven, fans haven’t minced words to call both of his Grand Slam wins the darkest days in tennis history.
Apart from the off-court controversies, fans believe injuries affecting Alcaraz and Sinner have helped Alexander Zverev’s cause. Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion, has debunked those claims as the sole reason for Zverev’s famous wins.
“I thought it was a bit of a shame after that then again the critics came saying, ‘Yeah, he only won because Alcaraz and Sinner didn’t play, or Alcaraz did play and Sinner was injured.’ Or ‘He had an easy draw.’ So first, point one: it’s not his fault if Sinner gets injured before,” Becker said on his podcast with Andrea Petkovic
“It’s not his fault if Alcaraz spent four months injured, and thankfully, is back again, and in the quarters against Shelton, loses. It’s not his fault if his seeds in that half all lose early. He can only beat the opponent he has to face on the court. I actually find that an absolute disgrace. Incredible disrespect toward his performance,” he added.
Becker singled out the possibility of Alexander Zverev in the final of all four Grand Slams if he had outlasted Carlos Alcaraz during their nerve-jangling encounter at the Australian Open.
After racing to a two-set lead, the Spaniard lost his advantage as Zverev scripted a sensational comeback to restore parity. In the decisive set, the El Palmar native rediscovered his momentum to close out the semifinal win.
“If that were a one-off fluke, okay. He’s in the final for a third Grand Slam in a row. Actually, he should have also been in the final in Melbourne – where he served for the match against Alcaraz in the semi. This guy could have been in the final of all four Slams this year,” he concluded.
The 29-year-old bagged his first Grand Slam at the French Open in Paris with a 6–1, 4–6, 6–4, 6–7, 6–1 win over Flavio Cobolli. He seized the opportunity in the absence of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who left Paris after his fitness gave out in the second round.
He then orchestrated a run to the Wimbledon final but appeared to be out of his depth against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. At the 2026 US Open, he got off to a sluggish start after barely escaping with a first-round win over Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys in the next, with both ending as five-set thrillers.
After avoiding an early scare, Alexander Zverev found his mojo and didn’t drop a single set en route to a blockbuster final against home favorite Ben Shelton. In a lopsided final, the German controlled the majority of the final and lifted the second Grand Slam title of his career with a 6–3, 7–6(2), 5–7, 6–2 triumph.
