NEWS
Following Zverev controversy: Becker calls for rule change
At the recently concluded tournament in Flushing Meadows, the German US Open champion was frequently criticized. His compatriot is now pushing for a rule change.
Alexander Zverev is experiencing the most successful year of his tennis career so far.
After the German finally claimed his first Grand Slam title at the French Open after a long wait, he followed it up with his second title at the US Open.
However, in Flushing Meadows, the 29-year-old was also frequently criticized. This was because Zverev repeatedly took a significant amount of time for his serve, especially on his second serve.
"A rule change is urgently needed"
For this reason, the Hamburg native was also criticized by his compatriot Boris Becker. "I have one point of criticism for Sascha Zverev, just one. This eternal ball bouncing before the second serve, please," Becker said in a podcast with former tennis player Andrea Petkovic.
Becker further stated: "A rule change is urgently needed regarding how much time a player has before the second serve."
Because unlike the first serve, where players have 25 seconds to execute it, there is no time limit for the second serve.
Zverev exploited this situation multiple times at the tournament in New York. Consequently, his semi-final opponent Karen Khachanov and his final opponent Ben Shelton, among others, complained about the rule afterwards.
