Tennis enthusiasts have voiced their growing impatience with German tennis star Alexander Zverev's persistent pre-serve ritual during his US Open men's singles final match against American Ben Shelton. The reigning French Open champion's habit of repeatedly bouncing the ball before serving has become a point of contention for spectators.
While bouncing the ball before a serve is a common practice in tennis, Zverev's repetitions are noted to exceed what is typically considered standard. In response to inquiries about this habit, Zverev stated that he does not perform it intentionally. "I have no idea why. I'm not doing it on purpose," Zverev told reporters. "I just, I saw the stat, like I bounced it 12,000 times or something like that. That was quite funny."
He further explained that he does not count the bounces and is unaware of why the number has increased. "I mean, no, I'm not like, I'm not counting in my head. I'm not getting a certain number or anything like that. I don't know why it increased so much," he said. "I think today it decreased again. Because I saw it before the semifinals. So I was like, okay, it's got to go less. But then, like, I forget about it every once in a while, and then it goes up to— I don't know what number it is."
When asked if any specific external factors prompt him to stop bouncing the ball, Zverev reiterated his lack of explanation. "No clue. Honestly, like, really honestly, no idea."
Social media commentary reflected fan frustration, with one user noting, "It's almost always 16 times come on Sasha, you know it." Another commenter suggested, "It's obviously a tactic."
As of the time of this report, Zverev held a lead over Shelton, having won the first two sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).