Alexander Zverev's turbulent partnership and messy split with coach Ivan Lendl: Golf, dog-training & no tennis
One of the most popular men's tennis players of all time, Ivan Lendl also had a second career in the sport as a coach. Among others, he coached Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev, with his relationship with the latter producing some less-than-savory moments.
Zverev, most notably, criticized his former coach and accused the former World No. 1 of not prioritizing his coaching responsibilities. He revealed that Lendl would focus on teaching his dog how to use the toilet and often prioritized playing golf over training.
In terms of results under Lendl, Zverev won the 2018 ATP Finals in London by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. The World No. 2, however, only managed to win the Geneva Open the following year. After parting ways with the Czech-American later that year, he raised concerns about his coaching commitment.
"He got a new dog, he was showing him how to go to the toilet. That was really his main topic. And golf," Zverev told Die Welt in 2019 (via Tennis Magazin).
Zverev revealed that he had advised the 64-year-old to focus more on tennis. The German added that Lendl spent half an hour discussing his golf practice during training sessions.
"We talked about it and I told him to concentrate on tennis more,” Zverev said. “Sometimes we go to the tennis court, the training is two hours long, and for half-an-hour he stands with his back to me talking about the way he played golf the morning before," he said (via Tennis 365).
As things stand now, Zverev is interested in adding a new coach to his team for the 2025 season, where he will be aiming for his first Grand Slam title.
Alexander Zverev interested in adding a new coach to his team; reveals his experience working with former coach David Ferrer
Alexander Zverev ended his partnership with Sergi Bruguera in May 2023, and entrusted his father and former player, Alexander Zverev Sr., with full responsibility of his coaching team.
In the aforementioned interview, the German expressed interest in adding a new coach to his team. However, the 27-year-old emphasized the importance of finding the right person for the role.
"Yes, but the right person has to be there. I'm not going to just take anyone just because I or others think it's right. I've done it, I've tried to work with many people. But I found that only one person really helped me a lot," he said.
Zverev added that one coach who had helped him a lot was David Ferrer. The German worked with Ferrer during the 2020 season, and despite a solid run that year, they parted ways in January 2021.
"No, apart from my father. David Ferrer really helped me. Working with anyone else was not a real success," he added.
Zverev also expressed interest in working with six-time Major champion Boris Becker. He mentioned that he would continue training under his father's guidance until the Australian Open and would assess whether there is a possibility of adding a coach at that time.