Boris Becker observed that Alexander Zverev lacked confidence when he walked onto the court for the 2025 Australian Open final against Jannik Sinner . The German ace, on Sunday (January 26), did not put up enough fight, and it needed Sinner just two hours and 27 minutes to emerge victorious.

Before the Australian Open, Zverev was defeated in his previous two Grand Slam finals, by Dominic Thiem and Carlos Alcaraz, at the 2020 US Open and the 2024 French Open, respectively. But those matches weren’t lopsided ones, for Alcaraz and Thiem had to toil for hours to overcome the current World No.2.

When he [Zverev] walked onto the court [at Australian Open] with his shoulders slightly slumped forward and his head hanging low, I thought, ‘Oh God, oh God, oh God’.

Boris Becker said on the Becker Petkovic podcast

Becker further claimed Sascha was nervous and was not in the right mindset and compared his demeanor with that of Sinner. As per the German coach, Sinner was brimming with confidence right from the beginning.

Then Jannik Sinner stepped onto the court, and he looked like pure sunshine. Focused, chest out, head held high. And in a final like this, of course, it’s about strategy, forehands, and ball control. But above all, it’s about your mindset and your mentality. And for me, that was the big difference between Sinner and Zverev.

Boris Becker added

Pat Cash praises Alexander Zverev’s comeback following the serious ankle injury

Since injuring his right ankle during his semifinal clash with eventual champion Rafael Nadal at the 2022 French Open, Alexander Zverev has come a long way. He reached the 2024 French Open final and the 2025 Australian Open final, for which former ATP pro Pat Cash praised him.

Alexander Zverev is a very good player so it is frustrating [when he lost the match in straight sets], but I think we have to reflect on how far he has come since ripping his ankle to pieces. That is one heck of an effort.

Pat Cash told BBC

Cash advised Zverev to volley better and improve his forehand. He also praised Jannik Sinner for his performances on hard courts. Sinner has become the first player since Novak Djokovic to win three consecutive hard-court Majors and, as per Cash, the 23-year-old is ‘unbeatable’ on the surface.

The win made Sinner a three-time Grand Slam champion as he also won the 2024 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open. Both he and Zverev started the Australian Open without playing any other ATP tournaments this season. Sinner now wants to rest and recover due to which he chose not to defend the Rotterdam Open.