Alexander Zverev made a winning start at the Shanghai Masters, toppling Valentin Royer 6-4, 6-4 after an injury scare in the closing stages. After the duel, the German ignited a storm and pointed fingers at tournament directors.
World no. 3 accused them of deliberately slowing down court speeds to benefit Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and gather as many title matches between the two leading players of men's tennis!
Zverev expressed frustration with what he sees as a growing uniformity across ATP events - a trend he claims favors the dominant duo at the top of the ATP list.
Zverev's remarks came after data confirmed that the Shanghai Masters courts are considerably slower this year in comparison to 2024, dropping from a CPI of 42.4 to 32.8!
That shift now places the most notable Asian event among the slowest Masters 1000 hard-court events alongside Indian Wells. Miami is ahead of them, with Toronto, Cincinnati and Paris still exceed the threshold of 40 CPI points.
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The German lamented that surface variety - once a defining feature of tennis - is fading, making every event play similarly regardless of surface and conditions. He argued that this trend suits Carlos and Jannik.
Zverev's remarks echo Roger Federer's recent criticism of surface standardization. However, his claim of intentional favoritism has stirred heated debate among fans.
Many see it as an outburst of frustration from a player who, despite high ranking, has struggled to match the main rivals and challenge them for notable trophies. In addition, Alcaraz and Sinner have proved themselves in every condition!
The dominant duo clinched all eight Major trophies in 2024 and 2025. They have entered five tournaments together since May and battled in the finals at every, extending their growing legacy on clay, grass and hard courts.
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Earlier this week, The Spaniard and the Italian conquered titles in Tokyo and Beijing respectively, extending their incredible streak and leaving all their opponents miles behind.
"I hate that court speeds are the same in all tournaments. The directors of all notable events are moving in that direction because they want Jannik and Carlos to perform well and potentially reach the final.
We have always had very different surfaces, and you could not play the same way on all of them. Adjustments had to be made to compete on grass, clay, and hard courts, but now you can play the same in any tournament," Alexander Zverev said.
