Alexander Zverev faced backlash from fans for what they deemed "ultimate disrespect" after he addressed Ben Shelton's girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, during his victory speech at the US Open. Zverev secured his maiden Grand Slam title on Sunday, defeating Shelton in a four-set match.
Following the match, Zverev took to the microphone and jokingly addressed Rodman, who had recently attended the final after playing in a soccer match. "Hey Trinity, I thought you have a game today, no? Well done to you as well. You're the lucky charm, so. Not today, but usually," Zverev said. Rodman, who was shown on the stadium screen, appeared to laugh off the comments.
Despite neither Rodman nor Shelton appearing offended, social media users widely criticized Zverev's remarks. "Bro beat him and took a shot at his girl. Pure humiliation," one user wrote on X. Another commented, "Alexander Zverev is a menace." Other reactions included "Didnt care much for this mocking of Trin. She has been all class in the support of her BF" and "Beats him for the title, now trying to steal his gal. Cold."
In a separate development from the match, Ben Shelton has called for tennis officials to implement a shot clock for second serves. He raised concerns about Zverev's habit of bouncing the ball numerous times before serving, which he believes causes significant delays in play. The current rules allow 25 seconds for the first serve but only require the second serve to be hit "without delay." Tennis legends such as Andy Roddick and John McEnroe have previously voiced similar concerns about lengthy serve routines.
"I think that there should be some sort of rule… limiting time on second serve. You shouldn't have unlimited time," Shelton stated. "For our sport, for the fans, I think it's tough to be sitting there that long for the next play, the next action to happen." He anticipates that tournaments will eventually address this issue.
According to reports, Zverev had bounced the ball more than 12,000 times during his first five matches at the US Open. Following his semifinal defeat, opponent Karen Khachanov had also commented on Zverev's serving routine, noting that it annoys many players.
