Roger Federer criticizes Alexander Zverev at the Laver Cup

Alexander Zverev is still waiting for his first Grand Slam title. Tennis legend Roger Federer has a clear opinion on the reasons for this.

According to tennis legend Roger Federer, Germany’s best player Alexander Zverev continues to make the same mistakes. “I’m not his coach, so I can speak freely. When I play him, I see someone who plays far too passively, far too defensively in the decisive moments,” said the Swiss at an event with his sponsor Wilson in Berlin.

Zverev has been waiting for his first Grand Slam title for years. The Tokyo Olympic champion failed in the finals of the US Open (2020) and French Open (2024). Most recently, the 27-year-old lost in the quarterfinals in New York to American Taylor Fritz. “Against the best players in the world, you have to take the initiative and play offensively. He didn’t do that against Fritz,” Federer analyzed on the sidelines of the Laver Cup in the German capital.

According to many experts, Zverev’s passivity is repeatedly his downfall in the fight for his first Grand Slam title. “Zverev fails against Zverev. He stands behind the baseline and hopes that his opponent makes a mistake,” said German tennis legend Boris Becker back in 2021.

Everyone is certain that Zverev has the potential to win a Grand Slam. “It’s not much that’s missing,” said Federer, calling the world number two an “outstanding player with one of the best backhands” on the tour. “But to win a Grand Slam, you have to trust in your shots and play more offensively. He has to believe in this path. Every cell in his body has to feel that this is the only right path. The title doesn’t just come to you. And certainly not the first,” said Federer, who left the court as a loser four times in seven duels with Zverev.