WATCH: Zverev leaves Shelton in stiches with blunt remark about Alcaraz and Sinner
NewsSaturday, 08 November 2025 at 15:55
The ATP Finals groups were made ahead of the opening match on Sunday, and Alexander Zverev did not hide whether he would have preferred Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz in his group.
Zverev was placed in the Bjorn Borg Group, which contains Sinner. The world No. 2 is the defending champion after beating Taylor Fritz in last year's final, having been the runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2023.
Alcaraz's group contains Djokovic, but whether the seven-time champion will play at the ATP Finals remains uncertain. The Serbian's participation at the 2025 Athens Open raises doubts about the 38-year-old playing another event so soon.
Ben Shelton is also in Zverev's group. The pair will meet on Sunday evening in what promises to be a hard-hitting battle between two of the best servers on the ATP Tour. Choosing a winner in that one is tough.
The players in the Bjorn Borg group did a press conference together ahead of the ATP Finals starting. A reporter asked Shelton and Zverev whether they would have preferred to have Sinner or Alcaraz in their group.
Despite losing 17 consecutive sets against Sinner, including in his most recent appearance at the 2025 Paris Masters, Shelton insisted he was happy to face the four-time Grand Slam champion on his home turf in Turin.
"It's my first time playing here at this event in Italy. I'm someone who likes big crowds, and feeling the energy of the crowd, whether it's with me or against me. So, I hoped I was in the group of whatever Italians were in the group to feel that, I thought that would be very cool. I don't know if that's the exact answer you were looking for, but I thought it would be a cool experience to play an Italian in Turin."
Shelton's answer was very careful and seemed like a deliberate attempt not to cause a stir. What immediately followed from Zverev could not have contrasted more sharply with his colleague sitting beside him.
"Carlos."
Shelton instantly bowed his head and burst out laughing. That was followed by laughter from Zverev, with the pair sharing a knowing glance at each other. The American knew how diplomatic his answer was by comparison.
It is always refreshing to watch players be honest. Zverev has acknowledged before that Sinner and Alcaraz are the best players worldwide, but Sinner has been more successful on indoor hard-courts than his Spanish rival.
Zverev caused controversy with his comments about Sinner and Alcaraz at the 2025 Shanghai Masters
Conditions at this year's Shanghai Masters were noticeably slower than in 2024. During a post-match interview, Zverev said tournament organizers have been deliberately slowing down courts to suit Alcaraz and Sinner.
Although those remarks generated backlash, they mirrored Roger Federer's words at the 2025 Laver Cup. One of the best players in tennis history saying it caused even more attention.
Ultimately, Valentin Vacherot had a remarkable run to the Shanghai Masters title. The title being won by someone ranked outside the Top 200 before the event led to some ridicule of Zverev's comments.
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