Alex de Minaur has proposed a new tennis rule change that would limit players to one ball toss per serve, saying rivals are “getting away” with taking too long before serving.
The world No. 9 is the latest player to call for a change in serving rules. Tennis players currently have 25 seconds to hit their first serve, with the clock starting three seconds after the umpire enters the last point into their scoring tablet. However, there is no shot clock between first and second serves, allowing players to take extra time after missing their first attempt.
Zverev under scrutiny
The issue has gained attention after Alexander Zverev's ball-bouncing habit during his US Open title run. According to Sky Sports, Zverev spent around three hours of his 23 hours on court across seven matches bouncing the ball between serves.
Some rivals have spoken out. Ben Shelton said after losing the final: “If he's bouncing the ball 20 to 25 times, I shouldn't have to just sit there for that.” Karen Khachanov, Zverev's semi-final opponent, said: “I think it's a job of umpire to notice and to be more aware and actually take the action.”
De Minaur's proposal
De Minaur, who saved a match point to beat Zverev at the Laver Cup, has suggested a different approach: allow only one ball toss per serve. He said: “[A shot clock] between first and second? Yeah, that's fine. I think, ultimately, you would get away from people trying to take a little bit more time in between first serve and second. I've said this for a long time now, I think one of the things I would say personally is I would have only one ball toss. So, once you throw the ball, you’ve got to serve, no matter what. If you decide not to, it's a fault.”
He added: “So kind of, that's another way that people sometimes get away with, you know, once they're about to serve, and they have a bad ball toss, they get to restart their routine again. So I would say that's another personal opinion that I think would be a good addition.”
Shanghai Masters run
De Minaur is through to the last 16 at the Shanghai Masters. He retired from the China Open final on Tuesday but won his delayed opening match at the Shanghai Masters. As the ninth seed, he received a bye into round two and then a walkover into the third round when Alex Molcan pulled out.
He beat Rei Sakamoto 7-6(6) 6-4 on Sunday and said: “I ultimately ended up having five days in between matches. I put a lot of recovery in, a lot of hours to get myself ready.”
