Zverev says sanctions won’t solve problem of bloated Masters events
Alexander Zverev says weary players would likely return if events that have swelled to 13 days were scaled back to one week.
MONTREAL: World No. 2 Alexander Zverev argued that throwing money at the issue of absentees at the ATP Montreal Masters would not solve the problem. The top seed claimed that the withdrawals of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz from the event had Canadian officials calling for financial and other player sanctions.
However, Zverev dismissed the notion that financial incentives would make a difference to these multimillionaire players. He asserted that even if Djokovic, currently ranked No. 5, received a larger bonus, the added sum would not make a significant impact on his financial situation. Similarly, Zverev doubted that the ranking of the Serbian player would be affected by the extra cash.
Instead, the German player suggested that a shorter Masters event, such as a week-long tournament, might encourage weary players to return. He emphasized that the current long durations of the events, which often extend to 11, 12 or even 13 days during Grand Slams and Masters events, are unreasonable and impractical for the players' schedules.
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