Boris Becker has played down his ongoing dispute with Alexander Zverev, saying the row has been blown out of proportion, after he was honoured at the Paris Masters final. The six-time Major champion and the current world No. 1 have been exchanging remarks through German media since Zverev rose to the top of the rankings.
Honoured at the Paris Masters
Zverev, 29, won his first two Major titles this season and reached No. 1 on Monday, November 2. However, he lost his first match as the top-ranked player at last week's Paris Masters, falling to Lorenzo Musetti.
While Zverev did not reach the final, Becker did. This year marked the 40th anniversary of the Paris Masters, and former champions were honoured with ceremonies throughout the week. Becker was the man of honour during Sunday's final, completing the coin toss, watching Carlos Alcaraz beat Ben Shelton from the front row, and taking part in the trophy ceremony.
Becker's Response to the Feud
Alcaraz and Shelton apologised to the 58-year-old for forgetting to mention him and paid tribute to him in their speeches. Afterwards, Becker spoke to Eurosport Germany about his feud with Zverev.
“Everything is being blown way out of proportion. A lot is being exaggerated, a lot of headlines. I don't need to add anything more to it,” he said.
He added: “Anyone who reads the whole interview in Der Spiegel will see that I wasn't disrespectful to Sascha. It's the best thing that could have happened to Germany, that we have such a true superstar. He's No. 1 in the world, he deserves it this year.”
Zverev's Reaction and Next Steps
In the Der Spiegel interview, Becker suggested that Zverev was not too popular in Germany, citing his Russian parents and his use of Russian with his team during matches, as well as his lack of public comment on the Ukraine war. He also noted that Zverev comes across as dry and curt in German interviews but is more likeable in English.
After losing to Musetti in Paris, Zverev responded to Becker's comments. “I don't know what's going on with him right now, but I get the feeling he has to comment on everything I do. If he feels he needs that, then let him,” he told Eurosport Germany. “I found it kind of strange that he thinks I have to express my political views. I'm not going to sit on Instagram and post long comments. That's not me, I've never done that, and I never will. I think he's just looking for anything right now to put me down a bit. He can do that, it's his decision.”
Zverev and Becker could meet at the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin. The world No. 1 is competing in the season-ending championships for the ninth time, while the ATP has invited several former world No. 1s to the tournament, so Becker may be present.
