Zverev: "I hate that all the courts are the same, they want to benefit Sinner and Alcaraz"

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There might not be many feelings worse for a tennis player than the helplessness of realizing they are far from the best. Alexander Zverev has been feeling this for a while and that's likely what triggered his recent statements at the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2025. The German complained about the consistency in speed among all courts, but he also denounced what he believes to be favoritism towards Sinner and Alcaraz.

Analyzing a reality is very different from justifying it in an unconvincing way. Alexander Zverev has joined the trend of denouncing the standardization of courts, which is an evident reality supported by data. However, the German sparks controversy by suggesting there is a plot to prevent him and other contenders from challenging the current overwhelming dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. His words at the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2025 have surprised many, and reactions have been swift.

Alexander Zverev echoes Federer's sentiments when asked about the slower court speeds in Shanghai this year after his R2 win:

"I hate when [court speeds are] the same. And I know that the tournament directors are going towards that direction because obviously they want Jannik… pic.twitter.com/wO1ipKS9Xf

— Christian's Court (@christianscourt) October 4, 2025

"I hate that court speeds are the same in all tournaments. I know that the directors of all major events are moving in that direction because they want Jannik and Carlos to perform well and potentially reach the final," stated the German, bluntly, after advancing to the round of 16 in the Shanghai tournament. According to Sascha, leveling the court speeds favors the Italian and the Spanish as if they haven't proven their ability to perform in any context.

- Zverev believes that tournament directors implement slow courts to benefit Sinner and Alcaraz

This argument aligns with what Roger Federer recently expressed, where he criticized the standardization of courts and expressed interest in seeing how the top two players of the moment would fare on very fast surfaces. However, the fact that Zverev, who should be the main opposition to the Italian and the Spanish, is complaining so vehemently and clearly denouncing a plot against him and others after a year clearly disappointing for his interests, has stirred a major controversy in the tennis world.

"We have always had very different surfaces, and you couldn't 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," stated the German. The reality is that the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2025 has drastically reduced the speed of its courts this edition, leaving the Canadian and Cincinnati tournaments as the only Masters 1000 events of the year on hard courts with a CPI score exceeding 40 points, the indicator that measures speed and categorizes courts as fast if they surpass that limit.

Updated CPI for all the hard court 1000s:
Indian Wells - 31.0
Miami - 39.9
Toronto - 44.7
Cincy - 43.7
Shanghai - 32.8 (down from 42.4 in 2024)
Paris 24 - 45.5

I like the mix of faster/medium/slower tbh https://t.co/04qbhBpPoQ

— Tennis Updates (@TennisUpdates25) October 3, 2025

It is inconceivable to hold the world No. 3 position and bitterly complain about this, as if Alexander Zverev himself couldn't adapt to the current trend. The German's words reveal a clear frustration with his inability to even come close to the level of play of Sinner and Alcaraz. In fact, in Cincinnati, the second fastest Masters 1000 court of the year, both were finalists. Much debate surrounds this issue.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev: "Odio que todas las pistas sean iguales, quieren beneficiar a Sinner y Alcaraz"