Alexander Zverev has branded the current format used to calculate a players ranking a ‘mess’ and has questioned the fairness of Roger Federer’s current position on the Tour.
The US Open finalist slammed the ATP for what he believes is an unfair system which has failed to fully recognise his achievements on the Tour over the past 12 months. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic both the men’s and women’s Tour’s changed their rules regarding a players ranking to take into account more tournaments that take place over a long period.
Recently the ATP extended their ‘best of’ policy until at least August 9th this year. The somewhat complex calculation means that points won from events between March 4th – August 5th, 2019, which were not played in 2020, will be extended a further 52 weeks and weighted at 50%.So for example a player can count 50% of their result from the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters or 100% from this year’s Monte Carlo Masters depending on which one is better. They are not allowed to use the same event twice in the calculation.
Although not everybody is happy with the system which tennis chiefs argue has been implemented to support players during the pandemic. Zverev cited 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer as one example of a drawback of the system. The Swiss tennis great has managed to remain in the world’s top 10 through the 13-month period where he didn’t play any tournament due to a right knee injury.
“I am Roger Federer’s biggest fan, but he hasn’t played in a year and is above me in the rankings. I played a Grand Slam final, a Masters final; won two tournaments; right now the system is a mess,” a bemused Zverev told reporters in Mexico.
“The ranking doesn’t really matter to me and with the system we have now … I mean, I should be in the top five, top four in the world in the normal system, but the system we have now is a bit absurd,” he added.
Zverev is currently ranked seventh in the world with 5635 points which is almost 700 less than Federer. During his rivals injury-related absence from the Tour, the German has won two ATP titles, as well as reaching the final of both the US Open and Paris Masters.
“It is no secret that my goal is to compete and win Grand Slams, to be one of the best players in the world,” he said. “At the end of the day I am at a stage in my career, I am 23 years old, I don’t want to play big games, I want to win and I want to win those kinds of games.”
Zverev is the second seed at this week’s Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco. He will start his campaign against rising star Carlos Alcaraz who received a wild card into the tournament. 17-year-old Alcaraz is currently ranked 132nd in the world and won his first main draw match in a Grand Slam at the Australian Open earlier this year. The Spaniard is dubbed as one of the sport’s brightest future talents but Zverev says it is important that he remains focused on himself.
“If anyone has experienced it (pressure) it is me, to be honest, so I can relate to it. The most important thing for him (ALCARAZ) is that he does not listen, because at the end of the day there will not be a second Rafael Nadal, a second Federer. You can only be yourself,” he concluded.
Note: quotes obtained via Fox Sports Mexico journalist Maria Fernanda Mora.
