Serena Williams’ former coach has clear instructions for Alexander Zverev after his ‘petty’ comments on court speed

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Alexander Zverev suffered a shock early exit at the Shanghai Masters, losing his third round clash with Arthur Rinderknech.

Zverev won his Shanghai opener 6-4, 6-4 against Valentin Royer, before losing 6-4, 3-6, 2-6 to Rinderknech.

But the ATP number three has also found himself in the spotlight for his latest comments on the current court speeds.

Zverev hates when court speeds are the same, a change he thinks tournament directors have made to favor Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Roger Federer thinks Sinner and Alcaraz are being favored too, while Zverev has been defended for his court speed opinion.

Serena Williams’ former coach calls Alexander Zverev’s court speed comments ‘petty’

Sinner disagrees with Zverev, who has now come under fire from Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci.

Macci wrote on X: “Zverev and others are chirping saying the directors adjust the court speeds to favor Alcaraz/ Sinner.

“This is another level of petty because they are another level. You just need to get better on any court speed then it does not matter. Right.”

Alexander Zverev is nearest rival to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz despite complaints

Court speed is one of many intriguing issues in tennis right now, along with the busy schedule that is leading to several withdrawals.

Alcaraz pulled out of the Shanghai Masters with injury, while Sinner retired with cramps in his second match.

READ MORE: Arthur Rinderknech instantly reacts after knocking Alexander Zverev out of Shanghai and beating him for the second time

The star duo do, however, very much remain the only players to beat on the ATP Tour at this moment in time.

Alcaraz and Sinner only just won the Japan Open and China Open respectively, while they occupy the top two spots in the world rankings.

Moreover, they have already qualified for the ATP Finals later this year, while the pair combined to win each of the four Grand Slam titles this season.

And despite his complaints, Zverev arguably represents their nearest challenger, with the world number three the only player outside the duo to reach a Grand Slam final in 2025.