Alexander Zverev has come under fire for suggesting that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are being given an unfair advantage when it comes to court speeds with two tennis figures telling him he needs to look at his own game.
According to Tennis 365, the debate about court speeds was started by tennis great Roger Federer after the 20-time Grand Slam winner claimed on the Andy Roddick Served podcast that tournament directors are making courts slower as it increases the chances of Alcaraz-Sinner finals.
The former world No 1 asserted that slower courts don’t help “the weaker player, he has to hit extra amazing shots to beat Sinner, whereas if it’s quick, he can only maybe blast a few and, at the right time… and he gets past.”
Zverev then doubled down after his two-set win over Valentin Royer in the second round of the Shanghai Masters as he also accused organisers of wanting to see the new Big Two in finals.
“I think the tournament directors are going towards that direction because, obviously, they want Jannik and Carlos to do well every tournament and that’s what they prefer,” he stated.
Former doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs has hit out at the world No 3, who went on to lose his third-round match against Arthur Rinderknech in Shanghai, for “making excuses.”
“Is Zverev joking? If he thinks they are doing it to help Carlos and Jannik, here is a good example,” she said on The Renna Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
“It’s like these guys win on every surface. Put them indoors on a slow court, on an ice rink, and they are going to win. Because they are going to adapt. You came in on the wrong approach shots, and your forehand went south when it mattered. Stop making excuses!”
But renowned tennis coach Rick Macci was even harsher in his criticism as he hit out at the German’s “chirping” as he feels it is a case of Alcaraz and Sinner being on “another level”, urging Zverev to up his game.
