Turin (dpa) – World number two Alexander Zverev clearly criticized the high level of stress in the discussion about the tennis season being too long. “What we are doing here with our tour is complete madness,” said the 27-year-old from Hamburg after reaching the semi-finals at the ATP Finals in Turin. “Maybe other players see it differently, but I think a lot of things have gone in the wrong direction in the last few years.”
It might be nice for the fans to be able to watch tennis for eleven months – too much for the athletes. «We are all over the world – for eleven months. “I don’t think I’ve spent more than three days at home at a time this year,” Zverev reported, also referring to the short breaks between tournaments.
Zverev wants to spend time with his daughter
«For me, a day off is when I sleep at home in my own bed, can spend time with my daughter and am with my dogs. This is a day off for me that I can enjoy,” explained Zverev. He doesn’t consider a day without a game, which he spends, for example, traveling long distances to training in Shanghai, to be a day off.
For Zverev, the season ends at the latest after the final of the year-end tournament for the best tennis professionals of the season on Sunday. The season then continues next week with the final round of the Davis Cup in Malaga, which Zverev will miss out on.
Flight to Australia on December 19th
It starts again for him at the end of the year when he competes with the German team at the United Cup in Australia from December 27th to January 5th. Zverev announced that he would fly to Australia on December 19th this year. “We don’t have a single holiday free with the family anymore,” he complained.
In the debate about the exhausting tennis season, the German number one had already attracted attention with his statements a few days ago. “Saudi Arabia must be included in the calendar so that the season is shorter,” he said.
One week in Saudi Arabia instead of four or five weeks elsewhere
“You need the money from Saudi Arabia to buy back tournaments,” said Zverev, given that the professional organization has sold the licenses to hold the tournaments to the organizers. “If you add a week with Saudi Arabia, you can buy back four or five weeks.”
Saudi Arabia is pushing more and more into world sport. However, the kingdom is accused of using sport to distract attention from its human rights violations and to improve its image.
