'Most Players Do It For Wrong Reasons': Zverev Hits Out At Medical Timeout Tactics

| by Nurein Ahmed

Alexander Zverev explained his distaste for calling for a trainer during his match at the 2023 US Open, and said a lot of players do it to the detriment of the opponent's rhythm.

An exasperated Zverev was beaten in straight sets by defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinal of the US Open on Tuesday night. Zverev looked competitive from the outset, winning some baseline exchanges and had two break points to break Alcaraz's serve at 3-all, but couldn't convert.

He paid a hefty price after that, dropping his serve and the set. Midway through the second set, something was clearly not right from Zverev's point of view who struggled physically to impose himself and Alcaraz managed to break his monstrous serve on two occasions.

Despite his struggles on serve and restricted mobility, Zverev did not call for the physio at any changeovers and lost the second set in a hurry. From that moment on it was a mountain to climb for the German 12th seed who was broken towards the tail end of the third set to lose the match.

Zverev Reveals He Was Hampered By Injury Against Alcaraz At US Open
Zverev Reveals He Was Hampered By Injury Against Alcaraz At US Open

After the match, Zverev gave his reasons why he did not call a trainer during the match when he was clearly struggling. He explained that it would be pointless to call for a trainer when he is unsure of what afflicted him. Even if he knew the nature of his injury, Zverev states that a trainer won't solve a more complex problem in three minutes.

The German also adds that most players do it for the wrong reasons, especially to disrupt an opponent's momentum. He says in his case, he would always leave it as the very last available resolution when he is on the court.

"No, I hate calling the trainer. I think, for me, a lot of players do it to disrupt the rhythm. For me, a lot of players do it for the wrong reasons. For me, yeah, I'm not that type of player. I don't like it. I don't like when other players do it, so I really leave it till the last moment kind of."

Alcaraz & Djokovic 'At Level Of Their Own' Says Zverev After US Open Exit
Alcaraz & Djokovic 'At Level Of Their Own' Says Zverev After US Open Exit

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