Following his defeat in the US Open men's final, Ben Shelton has called for a rule change to address the excessive ball-bouncing tactic employed by his opponent, Alexander Zverev. Zverev, the top seed, repeatedly bounced the ball before serving throughout the tournament, a practice that drew attention and drew criticism from Shelton after the match.
During the final, which Zverev won 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2, ABC broadcast graphics revealed that Zverev spent an average of 10 seconds per serve bouncing the ball. Over the course of the tournament, this amounted to approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes of ball-bouncing out of his total court time.
While a 25-second clock is in place for first serves, players traditionally have had unlimited time for second serves. Shelton believes this aspect of the game should be regulated.
“I think there should be some sort of rule — I’m not sure exactly how you would do it — limiting time on 2nd serves,” Shelton stated in his post-match press conference. “You shouldn’t have unlimited time. I think 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.”
Zverev himself acknowledged the high number of bounces, noting he wasn't deliberately counting but sometimes forgot to adhere to the time limit. He was issued time violations in his matches against both Shelton and Karen Khachanov.
Khachanov had also voiced his frustration with Zverev's serving routine, stating it disrupted player preparation and made it difficult to maintain focus. “You are, like, ready, and then it’s another 12 bounces, y’know, so you again do split step,” Khachanov said.
Despite the controversy surrounding Zverev's serving habits, Shelton maintained that his fatigue from playing numerous sets throughout the tournament, rather than the delays, contributed to his performance in his first Grand Slam final. He had been aiming to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Zverev's ball-bouncing technique is not unique in professional tennis; other prominent players, including Novak Djokovic, have also been known to employ similar tactics. The discussion around Zverev's approach at the US Open has ignited a broader debate within the sport regarding the pace of play and potential rule adjustments.