NEW YORK -- Following his loss in the US Open final on Sunday, Ben Shelton became the latest player to weigh in on Alexander Zverev's excessive routine ahead of his second serve.
Though there is a 25-second serve clock in place for a player's first serve, there is no such time limit for a second serve. The rules just state it needs to take place "without delay."
As was the case on Sunday, Zverev bounces the ball many times -- sometimes as many as 20 -- before starting his second service motion. It can disrupt an opponent's rhythm, as well as silence the crowd.
Shelton, who was looking to become the first American man to win a major in 23 years, said chair umpire Marijana Veljovic spoke to him during the match for not being on the line when Zverev started his routine for his second serve.
"She was telling me I need to get to the line earlier, and I was like, 'He can start his routine whenever he wants. I promise you there will never be a time where he serves and I'm not ready,'" Shelton said following his 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 defeat. "But I shouldn't have to sit at the line -- you know, if he's bouncing the ball 20 to 25 times, I shouldn't have to just sit there for that.
"He should be able to start it. He never does less than 10 bounces. I'm always going to be ready when he's ready to serve. I think that that is a stupid rule that you got to be sitting there if it's a guy who has his routine. You know, as long as you're ready when he puts his hands together and starts bouncing the ball, that's what should matter."
Karen Khachanov complained about Zverev's antics following their semifinal match Friday, telling reporters, "The way he bounces the ball, look, it annoys not only me, of course, [but] a lot of players, because it takes so much time, really.
"You don't know how to prepare for the serve. You are, like, ready, and then it's another 12 bounces, you know, so you again do split step. You kind of try yourself, but every point like that."
Even Zverev himself referenced a statistic that was circulating that he had recorded over 12,000 pre-serve bounces in his first five matches. After the match against Khachanov, Zverev said he wasn't doing it on purpose and called it "quite funny."
"I'm not counting in my head," he said Friday. "I'm not getting a certain number or anything like that. I don't know why it increased so much."
Khachanov added he didn't think much could be done about it because it was "within the rules."
In addition to there being no time limit ahead of the second serve, there is also no limit on the amount of ball bounces.
Shelton was asked Sunday if there should be a rule change, and he answered in the affirmative.
"I definitely think, for a first serve, you should be able to do whatever you want. You can use the full 25 seconds every time," Shelton said. "I think that there should be some sort of rule. I'm not sure exactly how you would do it, limiting time on second serve. You shouldn't have unlimited time. ... For our sport, for the fans, I think it's tough to be sitting there that long for the next play, the next action to happen.
"I'm sure at some point it will be something that these tournaments look at just because there is such a delay in play in some matches."
