Alexander Zverev opponents told how to stop controversial tactic Andy Roddick wants banned
Jimmy Connors believes the only way to combat Alexander Zverev's controversial serving tactic is to simply not let it bother them in the first place.
Zverev claimed his second Grand Slam title last week when he defeated home favourite Ben Shelton in four sets at the US Open, adding to his French Open triumph earlier in the year.
The 30-year-old is a controversial figure due to previous abuse allegations, which were dropped in June 2024 following an out-of-court settlement. He also drew criticism for his on-court antics at the recent US Open, particularly the amount of time he took between serves.
Alexander Zverev opponents given perfect counter to controversial tactic
Zverev drew plenty of criticism at the last Grand Slam for the excessive amount of time he spends bouncing the ball before serving.
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The current rules state that players are allowed to take 25 seconds between points, but there is no specific limit between their first and second serves.
While this means the German can take as long as he wants without being penalised, five-time US Open champion Connors believes the only way to combat it is to simply not let it bother them.
“I was a bouncer too and I had a number. I had OCD, it could be superstition or whatever but I counted a lot of the times,” he said on the Connors podcast.
“He was always between eight and 18, somewhere between there. Sometimes he was nine and sometimes it was 17.
“You have got to remember that they are going through a lot. There are a lot of things going through their minds out there. The pressure is tremendous.
“They want to give you the best show that they have and show the kind of tennis that they can play.
“Can he change that? I bet he works on it. I bet he’ll try and work on it if he can. But superstition is superstition.
“Venus never stepped on the line. I had to end on an even number. Everybody has their own thing going through their head to prepare them for the point.
“I’m under the impression and I always was when I played, I never let what my opponent did bother me, so don’t let what I do bother you.”
Andy Roddick calls for drastic rule change
Zverev's victory over Shelton means that Andy Roddick remains the last American to win the US Open, having done so in 2003.
Speaking last week, he called for a change to the rules to prevent Zverev from taking so much time between his first and second serves.
“The rules should change,” he said on the Served podcast. “As long as he [Zverev] is doing it within the 24-second shot clock, what are you going to say?
“There needs to be a shot clock for the second serve. You cannot bounce the ball 20-something times between first and second serve. You cannot do it and then act shocked when we finish at 3 a.m. in the morning. You cannot do it.
“Are you ready for a crazy one? You have four or five seconds to start your motion after your first serve, but you can buy back some time. So, if you start your first serve at 15 seconds, you get that added. There has to be some sort of reining in between serves. You can’t just start over each time.”
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Rich Fay