Alexander Zverev is lucky. Only one person has always criticised him, according to what he said at his press conference before his opening match at the ATP 500 in Vienna. Just one. At my club I have one per court, and two on court 4, because of the strip light.
He said that this person’s opinion had interested him little for a few years, “because every time he has said something, exactly the opposite has happened”. Tennis Actu and We Love Tennis read this as Boris Becker. Becker had criticised his tactics, his handling of pressure and his team, regularly run by his father.
I get the same criticisms. Tactics, pressure, team. My doubles partner delivers them every Sunday at the clubhouse bar, between two helpings of chips. The difference is that with me, the opposite hasn’t happened yet. My season really starts in May.
The best part is what came next. On 12 October 2026, on his podcast with Andrea Petkovic, Becker praised his performances and said his coming place as world number 1 was fully deserved. He said: “You don’t become number 1 by chance”. We Love Tennis says Zverev is due to get there in a few days.
I take note of the method. When my partner tells me I’m still C30.4 (a club-level ranking), I’ll know I’m on my way up. She told me last year. I wait for January like a verdict, and this time with an argument.
Criticism, Céline, you have to earn it. Me, they don’t even bother criticising me, nobody calls.
Two practice sessions away, mind you, the opposite happens for me too.
It’s true, we checked: Tennis Actu.
