“The No. 16 in the world could play the No. 17 in the world" - Alexander Zverev blasts Masters 1000 tournaments as change is hinted

There are a lot of areas that are currently very debatable in tennis. One of the most unpopular changes in recent times is the majority of the Masters 1000 events switching from one week tournaments to almost two weeks, introducing more players and making the event much longer and drawn out. The fans are not fond of it, and that bodes for the competitors, with Alexander Zverev saying his piece.

Aside from the Monte-Carlo Masters and Paris Masters, all the Masters 1000 events throughout the tennis calendar boast 96 players instead of the standard 56. This change has been financially incentivised with more days of action for tennis fans to watch.

The only problem is that the top 32 do not feature in the first two days, and when they eventually come in, it takes a few days before the tantalising matchups are set up. This is very contrary to the old format.

Compare the tournaments in Beijing. The women are competing in the China Open at WTA 1000 level compared to the men's ATP 500. There have been some compelling first round ties which would just simply not happen until later in the tournament a step above.

Zverev made this argument when he complained about the tournament format, echoing the thoughts from other tennis players and fans as they continue to deal with this change.

Zverev did not have an easy test in his first round, competing against former Wimbledon semi-finalist Cameron Norrie. The Brit played a brilliant match and really tested Zverev throughout, but the No.1 seed managed to come out on top 7-6(1), 6-4.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the German spoke on the ATP 500 format with high praise, noting that it is what Masters 1000 competitions were like once upon a time. “I love it. I think Masters 1000s events should be like that. That’s what it used to be. Masters 1000 events, eight players had a bye, the rest didn’t. You saw first-round matches which were unbelievable," he said.

“The No. 16 in the world could play the No. 17 in the world. The No. 9 in the world could play the No. 18 in the world. I think that was unbelievable to see."

That wait is so much longer and drawn out. “Now you got to wait for third round for like a week for matches like that to happen. I think the 500 format hasn’t changed, which I really like. I think the format here is great. I have nothing bad to say about it.”

These opening round matches are overlooked a lot more due to their weaker lineup, with none of the top 32 in action. There are also scheduling concerns voiced with there being more matches for the players who are already being pushed enough as it is. However, there seems to be no change in the pipeline any time soon.

With no Jannik Sinner in the Chinese capital, Zverev is the overwhelming favourite to lift the silverware. He has been in exceptional form since touching down at Flushing Meadows. His US Open title run was a statement to the rest of the field that he is one of the best players in the world, backing up his Roland Garros triumph earlier in the year.

He then helped Germany and Team Europe in their respected competitions with much success. A quick turnaround meant that he had little time to get settled in as he prepared himself for the latest tournament.

The workload does not seem to be a detrimental factor. The World No.2 is looking up rather than down, and if Sinner is going to be out of the sport a while longer, there is a possibility that we could have a new World No.1 on our cards in the near future. That is also relying on Zverev picking up some more eye-catching results.

Following his win against Norrie, Zverev will now clash against Chinese wildcard Juncheng Shang, with possibly Novak Djokovic waiting in the quarter-finals. The six-time China Open champion has never lost before in this tournament, returning for the first time in 11 years. That sublime record could be under threat from Zverev, with the duo having not faced off in 2026.