“We stop competing, stage a boycott, and then what?” Zverev confronts journalist on ATP schedule

Alexander Zverev had a tense exchange with a journalist after being asked about the ATP schedule. The German is participating in the Laver Cup this week, having withdrawn from the Davis Cup last week, and will quickly travel to Asia to compete in the China Open next week.

Criticism of the ATP and WTA regarding the schedule has increased in recent years, including voices like Zverev, Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud, and Ons Jabeur. Starting in 2025, the Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati will be extended, complicating the calendar for top players even further.

The long duration of the Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments allows players to have a day of rest between rounds, but this extends their time at the tournament and limits their weeks for rest or preparation.

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Zverev has a record of 56-18 this season, including his last match at the Laver Cup, totaling 74 matches. This number will grow as he competes in the Beijing Open and Shanghai Masters in the coming weeks. Further down his calendar are the Paris Masters, ATP Finals, and even the Davis Cup until mid-November.

During a press conference at the Laver Cup, Zverev expressed his dissatisfaction with the schedule in a tense conversation with a journalist who encouraged a collective movement among players, according to Punto de Break.

"There is no other sport where there is so much play; this cannot continue. The players' health is at risk; it's inconceivable that we start a season on December 29 and finish in the second week of November," Zverev said before being interrupted by the journalist, who asked if he had discussed the issue with his Team Europe colleagues to find a way to exert pressure on the ATP.

“Why? It's all about money here; that's all the ATP cares about; players have no decision-making power," the world No. 2 said.

Alexander Zverev at 2024 US Open.

The journalist insisted, encouraging players to unite to do something about it. "Fine, what would you do? Tell me,” Zverev replied. “No, seriously. Often you journalists come here asking us impossible questions; now I want to know what you would do.”

"If you want to fight for important things like being the world number 1 and winning Grand Slams, with this calendar, you have to play numerous weeks a year; that's unsustainable. This week we can talk, and we all agree on many things, but we can't change anything. It's all about money. Tournaments have licenses, and we can't do anything against that. It's impossible to eliminate tournaments just like that; we would have to compensate all those events because they have their licenses. It's not viable," he stated.

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"Okay, I'll listen to you, and we'll boycott. We stop competing, stage a boycott, and then what? Do you think that would change anything? We'd lose money, other players would take our place, and nothing would change in the schedule. I only trust the steps being taken by the PTPA to make ourselves heard, but this is an issue that has no short-term solution," concluded the recent French Open runner-up.

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