Alexander Zverev and Ivan Lendl have parted ways after less than a year of working together. The reasons for this were Zverev’s public criticism of Lendl’s commitment, his dissatisfaction with the training methods, and disagreements over personal matters. Zverev publicly complained that Lendl wasn’t focused enough on tennis and talked too much about his golf game and his dog during training. Lendl responded, “I have a lot of faith in Sascha, who is still very young. I think that one day he may become a great player, but currently he has some off-court issues that make it difficult to work in a way that is consistent with my philosophy.” Asked if he should have committed more, the former world No. 1 replied, “When it comes to work ethic, I am quite comfortable that my record speaks for itself.” Among the distractions off the court was Zverev’s current legal dispute with his former manager. In addition, there were reports of tension between Lendl and Zverev’s father, who also worked as a coach. The situation was often described with the saying, ‘Two coaches are one too many.’ Despite the turbulent end, the duo were able to celebrate successes together, including Zverev’s victory at the 2018 ATP Finals.
