Alexander Zverev reacts to criticism from Roger Federer

Roger Federer recently spoke about Alexander Zverev’s performance at the US Open and criticized him. Now the German tennis ace has reacted.

Alexander Zverev has responded to criticism from tennis legend Roger Federer. The Swiss had described the German world number two’s style of play as “far too passive”. “That’s nothing I don’t know. It’s completely clear to me that I didn’t play the way I wanted to play. That was a terrible game from me. So what Roger said is completely OK,” said Zverev a few weeks ago, referring to his quarter-final exit at the US Open.

Zverev is still waiting for his first Grand Slam title. He failed in the finals of the US Open (2020) and the French Open (2024). At the beginning of September, the Hamburg native missed another great opportunity in New York, losing in the round of the best eight to the American Taylor Fritz.

Zverev explained the result at the last Grand Slam tournament of the year with an exhausting schedule in this Olympic year. “That was perhaps too much at some point. Not just for me. The US Open was not a tournament with results that were normal. With Carlos (Alcaraz), with Novak (Djokovic), with me somewhere too. There were many defeats that were “not normal,” noted Zverev. Wimbledon winner Alcaraz lost in the second round, Djokovic in the third.

According to Federer, Zverev needs to play much more aggressively to win a Grand Slam title. “He’s great in defense, but I think to win he needs to look for a way forward,” said Federer.

Zverev will be playing at the Laver Cup in Berlin, which Federer co-initiated, on Friday. In the doubles match alongside Spanish Wimbledon winner Alcaraz, the German will win a point for Team Europe.