World No. 2 Jannik Sinner has pushed back against Alexander Zverev\u2019s accusations that tournament organisers are deliberately slowing down surfaces to favour him and Carlos Alcaraz.<\/p>\n
Following his second-round win at the Shanghai Masters, Sinner was asked about Zverev\u2019s comments that slower court conditions were being tailored to the world\u2019s top two players. The Italian was quick to distance himself from any suggestion of influence.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSpeed of the courts? Carlos and I don\u2019t make the courts, it is not our decision\u2026 I just try to adapt, play the best I can and that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Zverev, who beat French qualifier Valentin Royer 6-4 6-4 in his opener, didn\u2019t hold back in criticising what he sees as creeping uniformity across the tour.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI hate when it\u2019s the same, to be honest,\u201d the world No. 3 said. \u201cTournament directors are going in that direction because they want Jannik and Carlos to do well every tournament. Nowadays, you can play almost the same way on every surface. I don\u2019t like it. Tennis needs different game styles and a bit of variety, and I think we\u2019re lacking that right now.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Germans\u2019 frustration echoes recent remarks from Roger Federer, who last month also voiced concerns that courts have become too standardised, and too slow, to the benefit of Alcaraz and Sinner<\/a><\/p>\n Zverev, now more than a decade into his professional career, reflected on how surface variety has diminished. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t play the same tennis on grass, hard, or clay. Now you can play almost the same way everywhere,\u201d he added.<\/p>\nZverev echoes Federer in court speed criticism<\/h4>\n