Alexander Zverev has claimed there has been a significant change to the court speed at the Cincinnati Open.
The world No 3 started his campaign in Mason, Ohio with a 6-3, 6-3 win against 109th-ranked American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy.
Zverev had to contend with a short turnaround to appear in Cincinnati after he reached the last four at the Canadian Open in Toronto. The Canadian Open concluded on the same day the Cincinnati Open started.
The 28-year-old German is seeking his second title at the Masters tournament in Cincinnati after his 2021 triumph, while he was a semi-finalist in both 2023 and 2024.
The hard courts of the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati have long been measured as some of the fastest courts on the ATP Tour.
Zverev, however, has declared that the surface used in Cincinnati is now a lot slower than it used to be.
“Cincinnati was a very fast tournament in the past, but it’s become extremely slow now,” he said in a press conference at this year’s event.
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“I’m not sure what the reason behind this choice is, especially since in New York the courts will be very fast again.
“I’m not a huge fan of this surface. I just hope to play good tennis and get as far as possible.”
After his win over Basavareddy, Zverev said: “I requested [a night match], coming from Toronto, where it’s a lot colder, I need some days getting used to the heat and conditions. I’m happy with the win and happy with how I played.”
Zverev also made a big statement about court speed in Cincinnati last year
During the 2024 Cincinnati Masters, Zverev made an interesting claim when asked if he feels more comfortable on faster courts.
“Yeah, I mean I’m playing [with] an old school racket still, I’m playing [with] quite a heavy tennis racket still,” he told Tennis Channel.
“I mean, some of the young guys don’t do that anymore so they swing a lot faster than me. But when the ball comes with pace, I think a heavier racket helps you, so that’s maybe part of the reason. Some obviously racket things there.
“I mean look, I’m still from the generation from ten years ago, or from five, six years ago, when we had some very fast hard courts, especially when Roger was still around.
“And obviously, tournaments liked him to go deep, so they were making some very, very fast courts.
“So I’m used to it a little bit maybe more than some of the younger generation, but I mean, still some adjustments to be made.”
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