Alexander Zverev: the courts are slowed down to help the sinner, Alcaraz

Alexander Zverev says that the organizers of the tournament slow down the tennis courts to promote Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Zverev, the world’s n ° 3, overcome a fear of injuries to beat Valentin Royer 6-4, 6-4 at Shanghai Masters on Saturday, but then expressed his dissatisfaction with the way he thought that sport was heading.

“I hate when it’s the same thing, to be honest,” Zverev said in his interview on the field. “I think that the directors of the tournament go to this direction because, obviously, they want Jannik and Carlos to do each tournament well, and that’s what they prefer.

“Nowadays, you can play almost in the same way on each surface. I don’t like it. I’m not a fan of this. I think tennis needs different game styles, tennis needs a little variety, and I think we are missing at the moment.”

Alcaraz and Sinner are the only two players to hold the n ° 1 ranking since June 2024. They have separated the four Grand Slam of this year, and the two come out of title victories – Sinner at the Open of China and Alcaraz at the Japanese Open – although Alcaraz is missing the Masters of Shanghai due to a left ankle injury.

Zverev had to be treated in court for an injury to the toes when he was used for the match at 5-4, but that did not stop his progress.

“I landed funny on my toe, and after that, I could barely take a step, so we will see what it is,” he said. “We will see if I will still be healthy this year, because it was difficult, but I am happy to pass.”

The AP contributed to this report.