ATP: Becker on Zverev: Year after breakthrough becomes “even more difficult”

Tennis legend Boris Becker (50) has dampened expectations of Germany’s number one Alexander Zverev (20) ahead of next season.

Experience has shown that the year after the breakthrough into the top echelons of the world would be “even more difficult”, Becker said on Thursday at a press conference in Hamburg:”He will give us a lot of pleasure, but we should not expect too much.

Becker believes that the competition will be better prepared for Zverev in 2018,”The dressing room is not asleep. The other players now know how to play against him to succeed,”said the Head of Men’s Tennis at the DTB. For the number four in the world rankings, it is now a matter of “reaching far into the second week of a Grand Slam”, said Becker:”Basically, his results at Grand Slam tournaments can be improved”.

At the four major tournaments, Zverev has only made it into the last sixteen, this year in Wimbledon. But to believe that Zverev would climb from “four to one” in 2018 would be unrealistic,”said Becker. The first Grand Slam 2019 tournament will take place from 15. till 28. January in Melbourne, Australia.