Former doubles World No. 1 Rennae Stubbs recently criticized Alexander Zverev for his comments regarding Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The German claimed that slow court conditions are being intentionally created to favor the World Nos. 1 and 2, which drew criticism from Stubbs.
Zverev last competed at the 2025 Shanghai Masters, where he was seeded third and began his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. He won his opening match against qualifier Valentin Royer, with a score of 6-4, 6-4. His campaign ended in the third round when he lost to Arthur Rinderknech with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 2-6.
What Did Rennae Stubbs Say About Alexander Zverev’s Remarks About Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
After his victory over Royer at the Shanghai Masters, Zverev made his remarks about Alcaraz and Sinner, stating that tournament directors are designing courts to suit the top two players in an effort to ensure they perform well at every tournament.
These comments from Zverev did not sit well with Stubbs. While speaking on “The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast,” she pointed out that this year’s Grand Slam tournaments featured very different surfaces and speeds, yet both Sinner and Alcaraz excelled and won titles.
“Is Zverev f*cking joking? If he thinks they’re doing it to help Carlos and Jannik, here’s a good example: the Australian Open played medium this year. Jannik wins it. Zverev gets smoked in the final. Then the French Open rolls around, and it has been the same for 100 years. Guess who wins it? Carlos, match points to Sinner. Both of them are in the final. Zverev, where were you?” Stubbs said.
The Aussie mentioned that Alcaraz and Sinner can adapt to any surface and would find a way to win.
“Wimbledon, it’s grass. Who wins it? Jannik Sinner. It’s grass. Is it slower? Sure, but it’s still grass. The US Open is notoriously medium to fast. Who wins it? Carlos Alcaraz. Dude, these guys went on every surface, put them indoors, on a slow court, on a molasses court, on a God d*mn ice rink court, they’re gonna win,” she continued.
Stubbs also noted that Alcaraz and Sinner perform well on various surfaces because of their ability to quickly “adapt” and their lack of any “weaknesses.”
“They can adapt, because both of them can flatten out the ball, both of them serve unbelievably, come into the net, slice, have perfect forehands, perfect backhands with no weakness. Carlos doesn’t have a funky forehand. Who has a funky forehand? Zverev! It’s like, dude, you should appreciate the fact that it’s a slow court,” she said.
The former doubles World No. 1 also highlighted Zverev’s loss to Rinderknech in the third round of the Shanghai Masters, mentioning that the Frenchman effectively utilized the slow court conditions, while Zverev struggled to do the same. Stubbs stated that the former World No. 2 needs to “stop making excuses” and focus on improving his game.
“On top of it, he loses to Rinderknech, and you know what Rinderknech is known for, serving and volleying and coming into the net. Dude, he had more variety than you and the court, yes, it’s slow, clearly, but he utilized all the tricks in the bag to beat you, and you f*cked up. You came in on the wrong approach shots; your forehand went southward. Stop making excuses.” Stubbs added.
Prior to the Shanghai Masters, Zverev participated in the 2025 China Open, where he defeated Lorenzo Sonego and Corentin Moutet before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals.
