ATP: Becker to Zverev: “The whole tennis world has been waiting for this moment.”

22 years after Boris Becker, Alexander Zverev has finally triumphed again at the ATP Finals. The old master is impressed by his successor.

Germany’s tennis idol Boris Becker was deeply impressed after the title of Alexander Zverev at the ATP season final in London. “The whole tennis world has been waiting for this moment”, said Becker at the BBC: “For years we have said that tennis needs new faces and strong new players. He’s proven he’s the best of the new generation.”

Zverev’s victory over his former protégé Novak Djokovic (6:4, 6:3) was described by Becker as a “big surprise”. Although the 21-year-old had already beaten Djokovic and Federer in Masters finals before, “defeating Novak and Roger one after the other in one of the biggest tournaments in the world proves to him and the whole world that he will be the next superstar.

Becker also raved about the abilities of his successor next to the square. “A German with humor who can talk and laugh about himself – a star has arrived,” said the three-time Wimbledon winner, also with a view to his compatriot’s moody speech during the award ceremony in the o2-Arena.

Becker, who followed the game as a BBC commentator, had won the ATP finals three times – in 1995 as the last German until Zverev followed in London on Sunday evening.

Not only from the scene Zverev received countless congratulations after the surprising victory. Among other things, Steffen Seibert, spokesman for Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, which is responsible for sport, sent congratulations to the Hamburg native who had been elected.

“Congratulations to Alexander Zverev on his victory in the ATP finals, after victories over Federer and Djokovic and as the first German in 23 years,” wrote Seibert on Twitter. The dethroned German football world champions also bowed to Zverev via their official channel “Die Mannschaft” with three gossip emojis at the short news service.