“Without Sinner everything changes”. Alexander Zverev does not mince words on the eve of the Cincinnati Masters 1000. The German will be the number one favorite after the withdrawals of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, but precisely the absence of the two main protagonists reopens the debate on the tennis calendar and the new format of the Masters 1000. “The absence of Alcaraz and Sinner definitely changes the situation, especially Jannik’s withdrawal. This season he has won every Masters he has played,” admitted Zverev, coming off the disappointment in Montreal. “At the same time, it doesn’t change much for me — he added — I still want to compete against the best and show my best tennis.”
The goal, therefore, is to redeem himself after a Canadian tournament below expectations. But the German mainly points the finger at the length of the Masters 1000, which have become two-week tournaments. And he makes an appeal to the ATP precisely thinking of Sinner and Alcaraz: “If you are a top player at this point in the season, in the end you end up spending seven weeks in North America.” Hence the proposal: “How do you solve all this? By restoring everything as it was before, making us stay here fewer weeks.”
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According to Zverev, the new format would not have even brought significant economic advantages to the stronger players: “When I won Rome in 2017 I think I received about one million euros in prize money — the German said — With the victory in Rome in 2024, instead, I believe we were closer to 900 thousand euros.” And again: “For those who go far in the tournaments, they would not necessarily earn less if the duration of the 1000s were reduced.”
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Finally, space for Novak Djokovic. Zverev has no doubts about the Serbian’s chances: “If he wanted, Novak could easily stay in the top 5 for another two or three years.” The problem, however, is continuity: “Being on the court for five hours and fifteen minutes, which is an incredible effort, and then having to return to the court a few days later against the world number 1 is a tough commitment for someone who is 39 years old. But it would be for everyone else as well.”
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