During the 2025 Shanghai Masters, Alexander Zverev voiced frustration over the increasingly uniform court conditions. The world No. 3 claimed that tournament directors are deliberately slowing down surfaces to benefit certain players. “I hate when it’s the same, to be honest. And I think that 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,” Zverev said.
He argued that tennis used to thrive on surface diversity, which allowed for contrasting styles and unpredictable matchups. “You couldn’t play the same tennis the same way on a grass court, hard court, clay court. Nowadays, you can play almost the same way on every surface. I don’t like it, I’m not a fan of it,” he added.
Federer Echoes Concerns
Roger Federer, speaking on the Served podcast with Andy Roddick, echoed Zverev’s concerns. He suggested that tournament directors are intentionally slowing down courts to ensure marquee matchups between Sinner and Alcaraz. “Obviously, I understand the safety net that the tournament directors see in making the surface slower. It’s for 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,” Federer explained.
Federer also lamented the loss of stylistic variety in the game, noting that players now compete similarly across all surfaces. “Back in the day, only 12 tournaments counted, so everybody would play on their favorite surface. And then they would sometimes meet, and those were the best matches when you had the attacker against a retriever,” he said.
Players React to Shanghai Conditions
The Shanghai Masters has drawn criticism from multiple players due to its unusually slow court pace. Taylor Fritz described the change as a “very bad” shift, while Alex de Minaur called it a “shock to the system.” Zverev, who advanced to the third round despite a toe injury, joined the chorus of discontent, arguing that the homogenization of surfaces diminishes the sport’s strategic depth.
Sinner Responds
Jannik Sinner responded diplomatically to the claims during the China Open. He acknowledged that hard courts often feel similar but pointed out subtle differences. “The hard courts, they are at times very similar. At times there are some small changes, couple of changes. One tournament that comes up a bit is Indian Wells because the ball bounces very high,”
Sinner said.A Growing Debate
The debate over court speeds and surface uniformity continues to stir controversy among players and fans. As the ATP Tour evolves, questions remain about whether the pursuit of blockbuster finals is compromising the sport’s foundational diversity.
ATP Shanghai - Alexander Zverev's projected path
Zverev in Shanghai, ranking, and results in 2025
Currently ranked no.
3, Zverev has managed to achieve a 48-20 match record in 2025. The German is competing in Shanghai where he overcame the world no.76 Valentin Royer 6-4 6-4.Alexander Zverev will compete against the world no.54 Arthur Rinderknech in the 3rd round. Their head to head is 1-0 for Rinderknech.
The German has won 1 title in 2025 in Munich. Zverev was the finalist at the Australian Open and in Stuttgart (Boss Open).
The German won 25 titles in his career: 8 on hard courts, 9 on clay courts and 8 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) after Vienna. The main draw will start on the 20th of October.
ATP Shanghai - Jannik Sinner's projected path
Jannik Sinner in 2025
Ranked world no.2, Jannik played his last match on the 4th of October when he was overcome by Unknown Player bye in the 1st round in Shanghai (draw).
Until now, during this year Jannik has a compiled 42-5 match record. Sinner conquered 3 titles in 2025 at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and Beijing. The Italian reached the final in Rome, French Open, Cincinnati and U.S. Open.
He is also scheduled to play in Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) after Vienna. The main draw will start on the 20th of October.
Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner played each other 7 times. Their record is 4-3 for Zverev.