Boris Becker Takes a Swipe at Jannik Sinner: “Unacceptable Comments”

Boris Becker has spoken again about Alexander Zverev’s triumph at the U.S. Open—but that’s not all. In fact, many have downplayed the German’s title win by pointing to Jannik Sinner’s absence and the fact that Carlos Alcaraz—returning after months on the sidelines—wasn’t playing at full strength, but “Bum Bum” disagrees and is firing back.

“I find certain comments unacceptable. Is it Sascha’s fault that Sinner got injured and that Alcaraz was sidelined for four months? He can only beat the opponents on the other side of the net. Not only has he won two Grand Slams, but he’s also reached three consecutive finals, and at the Australian Open, he served for the match in the semifinal against Alcaraz.” He added: “People should show him the respect he deserves once and for all.”

Anticipation is building for Jannik Sinner’s return to the court. After missing the entire season on American hard courts, he’ll be in the spotlight in Asia, starting with the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing, where he won the title last year by decisively defeating Learner Tien in the final. It remains to be seen what condition he’ll be in—a topic that divides Flavia Pennetta and Laura Golarsa, the guest on the latest episode of the Sky Tennis Club show.

“He’ll definitely only return to the court if he’s 100%. He’ll need to test himself, just as Carlos did at this U.S. Open: every day you learn how your body responds. But I believe he’ll return to the court only when he’s completely sure he’s in good shape,” said the beautiful player from Brindisi.

“I believe he’s shown us that he can come back and win right away,” replied Golarsa. “But coming back from an injury isn’t easy. You never know how you’ll react during a match when you return to competition. It also depends on the opponents. Alcaraz surprised me in New York, because a wrist or arm injury is something that bothers a player when they feel the impact. If the first few matches go well, you can put it behind you. But if, when changing direction, you feel something in your knee, you can’t predict it. They certainly have that margin in the early rounds that allows them to test the waters.”