Alexander Zverev has dismissed recent media reports attributing controversial quotes to him regarding his former coach, Ivan Lendl, asserting that he has not spoken about Lendl in five years. Zverev, currently ranked world No. 2, worked with Lendl, a former world No. 1, from 2018 until their split in July 2019. During their time together, Zverev struggled to achieve significant success, leading both parties to agree that parting ways was in their best interest.
The alleged quotes, which surfaced in various media outlets, suggested that Zverev criticized Lendl’s focus on personal interests rather than tennis. “In Hamburg, only my father is there as a trainer. Ivan got a puppy two months ago, which he is now teaching how to go to the toilet. That’s really his main focus at the moment: golf and the little dog,” the quotes reportedly stated. “Sometimes we stand on the tennis court for two hours, and for half an hour of that he stands with his back to me and talks about how he played golf that morning.”
Following the publication of these quotes, Zverev took to Instagram to clarify the situation. He emphasized that he has not spoken to any media representatives this month and has not made any public comments about Lendl since their separation.
“So, apparently I gave an interview about my coaching relationship with Ivan Lendl recently, which is not true,” Zverev wrote. “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 expressed frustration over what he described as “very bad journalism,” suggesting that the fabricated stories were a result of a slow news cycle during the off-season. “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 to keep readers interested in made-up drama. See you all soon in Australia.”
Looking ahead, Zverev is set to kick off his 2025 season at the United Cup, with aspirations of capturing his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
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