The 1996 Australian Open champion hopes to finally get a successor.
Alexander Zverev is just one step away from fulfilling his lifelong dream. And tennis legend Boris Becker believes that this time it can really work out with the first German Grand Slam title since his own at the Australian Open in 1996. Defending champion Jannik Sinner is the favorite in the Melbourne final on Sunday, “but I also believe that Sascha is ready for the title,” Becker said on Eurosport: “He has been fighting for this greatest triumph for so long now.”
Zverev has “the chance to make tennis history,” he said. “I think it would mean the world to him, but we’ll only know after if it goes well,” said Becker, who also hopes that a possible victory for the Hamburg native would have positive effects: “There’s already a tennis boom in Germany again, but it would be many times greater if we had another German Grand Slam winner.”
Becker also has a few tips for the 27-year-old ahead of the big match. Zverev should go into the game “courageously and determinedly” and stay focused, Becker said: “He has to believe in himself, that this time it is time to win. Tactically and athletically, he will be well prepared by his father and brother, but tennis is an individual sport,” explained the former Wimbledon champion.
