After years of near-misses, Alexander Zverev has finally etched his name in tennis history. The 29-year-old secured his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2026 French Open, overcoming Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final. But his win had a mixed reception because of his past domestic violence controversy, and a legend from his home country, Boris Becker, has a warning for Zverev on how he should present himself to be fully accepted.
Boris Becker Warns Alexander Zverev Hiding His Past Will Hurt His Brand
Speaking on the “Becker Petkovic” podcast, the six-time Grand Slam winner praised Zverev for handling the immense pressure in Paris but added that his life will never be the same. “As a superstar, and Sascha Zverev is one now in tennis, you can’t pretend your private life doesn’t exist,” Becker stated. “You have to deal with it; you can’t negate or deny anything.”
For context, Zverev has faced serious allegations of domestic violence from two former partners, Olya Sharypova and Brenda Patea. While the ATP found “insufficient evidence” following Sharypova’s claims, the accusations from Patea led to a high-profile domestic violence trial in Berlin. In June 2024, the case was closed after Zverev agreed to an out-of-court settlement, paying a fine of €200,000. Zverev has always denied all allegations, but the court of public opinion has not been so quick to move on.
After his French Open victory, the biggest achievement of his career so far, Zverev faced backlash, including from French sports daily L’Equipe. Zverev also refused to continue an interview with L’Equipe when pressed about his past. He asked the interviewer, “Do you know that the allegations were proven false?” and stated, “I did all I could do, and my innocence has been shown. I think we should stop.”
The top French magazine didn’t put Zverev’s win on the front page and published an editorial focusing on the domestic abuse accusations, noting that the context “complicates the reception of his success.”
This is exactly why Becker believes Zverev must change his approach to the media. “The question now arises: Who is Sascha Zverev really?” Becker said. “We know the tennis player, but what is he like as a person? He has a five-year-old daughter; what is he like as a father? What are his opinions on politics? What is he like off the court?”
“He needs to open up,” Becker advised. “Then he will not only be respected in Germany but also loved. He is currently on Mount Everest and must seize this opportunity, because it may never come again.”
Meanwhile, the tennis world has moved to the grass court season, and Zverev will next compete in the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany, which begins on June 15.
