World No. 2 tennis player Alexander Zverev has recently taken to social media to denounce what he calls “not true” reporting of comments he made about his former coach, Ivan Lendl. The controversy stems from remarks Zverev made back in 2019, which were mistakenly reported as new statements by several media outlets over the weekend.
In 2019, Zverev expressed dissatisfaction with Lendl, claiming that the Czech legend was more interested in talking about golf and his dog than focusing on coaching. Zverev said, “Sometimes we go to the training ground. Training lasts two hours. For half an hour he stands with his back to me and tells me how he played golf that morning. He’s got a new dog and is showing him how to go to the toilet. That’s really his main topic. And golf.”
However, Zverev clarified on Instagram that he had not given any recent interviews about his coaching relationship with Lendl and accused some media outlets of “bad journalism”. He wrote, “So, apparently I gave an interview about my coaching relationship with Ivan Lendl recently, which is not true. In fact, I have not spoken to anyone from the press since my foundation event in Tannenhof one day after Turin and I have not made any comments about my coaching relationship with Ivan Lendl in more than five years.”
Zverev’s frustration is understandable, especially given that the misreporting occurred during the off-season when there is less tennis news. He added, “I understand that everybody is very bored right now because it is the off-season and not much is happening except a lot of hard work, but this shows once again that some stories have to be completely made up by very bad journalism to keep readers interested in made up drama.”
The German star will next be in action at the United Cup, where he will anchor the German team looking to successfully defend the title they won at the start of 2024. Meanwhile, Lendl has returned to the ATP Tour as a coach, now working with world No. 16 Hubert Hurkacz.
Zverev’s strong stance against the misreporting highlights the importance of accurate journalism and the impact that false information can have on public figures. As he prepares for the upcoming season, Zverev’s focus remains on his performance and continuing to build on his successful 2024 season, which saw him win Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Paris and reach the final of the French Open.
Alexander Zverev in 2024
Now the world no.2 (career-high), Zverev played his last match on the 16th of November when he lost to world no.4 Taylor Fritz 6-3 3-6 7-6(3) in the semifinal in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
At present, during this year Zverev achieved a 69-21 record. Alexander clinched 3 titles in 2024 in Australia, Rome and Paris. Alexander got to the final at the French Open and Hamburg.