Zverev laughs off claim he pulled rank and forced Cruz Hewitt off court
Alexander Zverev has laughed off unsubstantiated allegations that he pulled practice court rank over Cruz Hewitt and Ben Shelton in Shanghai this week.
Video emerged on social media (watch above) of world No.2 Zverev interacting with Australian players Hewitt and Jordan Thompson on the practice courts while preparing for matches at the Shanghai Masters.
Alexander Zverev, Cruz Hewitt and Jordan Thompson in Shanghai. X
Cruz Hewitt in Shanghai. X
The players appear somewhat confused as they talk, but no hostility is apparent.
One social media user claimed that Zverev had turned up 80 minutes late for his scheduled practice session, and that his tardiness had forced Hewitt and world No.4 Shelton from court five to court 10 to have a hit.
That sparked claims of “bullying” and arrogance from followers and left Zverev bemused by all the fuss.
“How do you even make stuff like this up?” Zverev wrote on social media, with four crying/laughing emojis.
Leading tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg - a noted Zverev critic - has been on the case.
“Asked someone who was on the court during the much discussed Zverev-Cruz Hewitt overlap on the Shanghai practice courts this week what happened,” Rothenberg wrote.
“And they said the attention on the moment was “just a bit of bullshit” and that it was “not a big deal at all”.”
Zverev will finish 2026 as the ATP’s year-end world No.1.
Jannik Sinner is the current No.1 but is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Zverev’s rise was confirmed when seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz - the world No.3 - suffered a shock 7-5, 7-6(4) defeat by unseeded Belgian Zizou Bergs in Shanghai on Monday.
Fresh from defending his Japan Open title and building momentum after a wrist injury that sidelined him for nearly five months, Alcaraz never found his rhythm in a scrappy two-hour, two-minute contest.
The second-seeded Spaniard joined 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and US Open runner-up Shelton among the high-profile casualties at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Bergs produced a composed all-court performance, thriving in the quick conditions as the 27-year-old broke Alcaraz's serve three times to clinch the biggest victory of his career.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain reacts. Getty Images
Bergs had lost their only previous meeting, falling to Alcaraz in the last 16 of last year's Japan Open, but showed no signs of intimidation as he outplayed the 23-year-old in key moments.
“I often have too much respect for these guys, which is part of my culture, and I’m proud of that. But it gets a little bit in the way when you have to play them,” Bergs said.
“The more experience you have practising against them and playing matches, the more it becomes the new standard a little bit. To have this moment, for me, it is a little bit of a relief. I feel like now I really can win against these guys.”
Alcaraz conceded he was below his best.
"I didn't play the way that I wanted to play. A lot of mistakes. I didn't find a good position on the return," Alcaraz said.
“Obviously, credit to him. I would say he served really well. But when I got into the rhythm, when I got into the point, I made a lot of mistakes. I wasn’t feeling comfortable with my shots. So, I’m really disappointed with today’s match because I didn’t find the solution. I just made a lot of unforced errors.”
Zverev, 29, becomes the first German to finish as the ATP’s year-end world No.1, after winning the French and US Opens in a breakthrough campaign.
Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
“It’s been a fantastic season for me winning in Paris and New York and knowing that I will finish the year on top of the rankings is just a dream come true,” said Zverev, who will face Kazakhstan’s 19th seed Alexander Bublik in the round of 16.
“So much work and effort have been put into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury (in 2022). I look forward to finishing the season in style.”
- with Reuters
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