BORIS BECKER DEFENDS ALEXANDER ZVEREV OVER US OPEN CRITICISM

Boris Becker has defended Alexander Zverev against criticism that his US Open title was devalued by the absence of top rivals. Speaking on the Becker Petkovic podcast, Becker said critics claimed Zverev "only won because Alcaraz and Sinner didn't play." He said it was "not his fault" if Sinner was injured before a tournament, or if Alcaraz was out for four months and lost in the quarter-finals to Shelton. Becker added that it was not Zverev's fault "if all the favourites lose early," calling the criticism "an absolute disgrace and an incredible lack of respect" towards his performance.

Zverev has won two Grand Slam titles this year, at Roland Garros and the US Open, and reached three major finals, with 25 match wins in majors. At Roland Garros, Alcaraz missed the tournament through a wrist injury and Sinner lost in the second round to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, and Zverev beat Flavio Cobolli in the final for his first Grand Slam title. At the US Open, Sinner missed the tournament with a knee injury and Alcaraz lost to Shelton in the quarter-finals, after which Zverev beat Shelton in four sets. Critics have noted that Cobolli and Shelton were the only top-10 players Zverev defeated across both title runs.

Becker said results are decided by the opponent in front of a player, not by who might otherwise have been on court. Zverev addressed the debate himself, giving a qualified answer when asked if he considered himself the best player in the world. He said that with Sinner injured and Alcaraz still recovering from four months out, "right now, this moment, probably yes." Neither man suggested the assessment extended beyond the present moment.