NEW YORK—Alexander Zverev deliberated over two Hall of Famers before hiring Ivan Lendl as coach.
Zverev narrowed down coaching candidates to former world No. 1 champions Lendl and Boris Becker, who has known the 21-year-old German for years.
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Ultimately, Zverev said he chose Lendl over Becker for two reasons:
1. Zverev's fitness trainer, Jez Green, previously worked with Lendl on Andy Murray's team and highly recommended him.
2. Zverev believed Lendl's life is simpler than Becker's at this point.
"Obviously the two options for me were Boris and him," Zverev told reporters at US Open media day today. "I always said it's the only options that I thought of were those two people. One reason was because team members of mine have worked with Ivan before. They know what he brings to the table.
"Jez, who is also a very good friend, not just a trainer, we've been talking a lot who would be a great person. He always felt that Ivan was. He just knows what Ivan brings to the table. That was one."
Zverev said he's close with Becker, who recently split from his wife and has battled financial issues, and did not rule out the prospect of the pair joining forces in the future.
"And second, I just thought Ivan's life right now is a little bit easier," Zverev said. "I like Boris. I love Boris a lot. He's a great guy. I've texted him and talked to him before announcing this thing with Ivan. I said, Look, would have loved to work with you, and maybe in the future it will hopefully work out, as well. But right now I just thought Ivan would be better."
Asked his reaction to the hiring, Roger Federer said Lendl's experience as a player and coach can help Zverev at majors. Federer added with or without the Hall of Famer on his team, the 2017 Rogers Cup champion will be "incredibly successful."
"He's been struggling at slams maybe a little bit, sure, but he's still young, so time is on his side," Federer said of Zverev. "Maybe Ivan can inject some wisdom and knowledge to pass that hurdle. Maybe it's an outside voice that the team needs, I'm not sure. So I think it's going to be interesting to just see how they work.
"I don't know Ivan, to be honest, very well myself. But he seemed to have good success with Andy exactly, and time will tell. But, you know, I'm a big believer in Sascha, and I know him very well. I think he's going to be incredibly successful regardless if Ivan is there or not."
The fourth-ranked Zverev, who reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros in June, hopes Lendl can help him make his major breakthrough.
"There's a lot of tactical work, for sure," Zverev said. "There's a lot of mental work, as well, to kind of show me what it takes to compete for Grand Slams, to win Grand Slams. That for sure he has showed me a little bit.
"The training sessions are tough. The training sessions have always been tough when I work. I'm a pretty hard working guy, so I know what it takes. I'm not somebody who sits on my ass when I'm alone. I'm always constantly trying to figure out ways to get better. That hasn't changed that much. The training sessions are still tough."
Photo credit: Alexander Zverev Instagram