"I thought oh God": Boris Becker reveals how he knew Alexander Zverev would struggle in final of Australian Open

Former world number one Boris Becker has highlighted one aspect of Alexander Zverev’s appearance which convinced him that he would have a tough outing in the final of the Australian Open. The 27-year-old is regarded as one of the most high-profile players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, had a rough day in the grand finale of the first Grand Slam of the year on Sunday in Melbourne as he came second best against the current world number one Italy’s Jannik Sinner in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.

It was the third time Zverev ended up on the losing side in the final of a Grand Slam. In 2020, he finished as the runner-up at the US Open after losing to Dominic Thiem in a five-set thriller with a score of 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6. Four years later, in 2024, Zverev again lost in the final of a major competition, this time to current world number three Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who won the French Open after winning the contest with a score of 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1, 6–2.

Former world number one Becker has been recently quoted in a report by The Tennis Gazette, in which he highlighted that he knew from the moment Zverev walked to the court that he would struggle against a ‘focused’ Sinner.

“When he walked onto the court with his shoulders slightly slumped forward and his head hanging low, I thought oh God, oh God, oh God,” said Becker. “He’s tense, he’s nervous, he’s not in the right mindset. This is going to be a tough one. Then Jannik Sinner stepped onto the court and he looked like pure sunshine. Focused, chest out, head held high. And in a final like this of course its about, strategy, forehands, and ball control. But above all it’s about your mindset and your mentality. And for me that was the big difference between Sinner and Zverev. Of course, the South Tyrolean played perfectly, credit where credit is due. On hard courts, he’s almost unbeatable, not just for Zverev but for anyone.”