Ben Shelton Calls for Serve Routine Rule Change
Ben Shelton wants tennis to reconsider how long returners must wait during extended service routines.
Shelton raises the issue after final loss
Ben Shelton said tennis should revisit a rule governing where returners wait during a server's routine. His complaint followed Alexander Zverev's four-set victory in the US Open final. The American felt he should not be required to stand ready at the line while a server takes an extended time before beginning the motion.
It was a first major final for Shelton. He has risen to No. 6 and has won 8-2 across his last ten completed matches, giving the loss extra weight after a strong recent stretch. Shelton said he would always be prepared when the serve actually began, even if he stayed loose away from the return position.
Zverev's routine drew attention
Alexander Zverev became a focus during the final because of his repeated ball bounces before serving. Shelton said the rhythm makes it difficult to remain in a tense, crouched return stance for a long period. "I’m not going to sit there in a ready position with my knees bent, tension in my body for 30 seconds while I’m waiting."
Shelton said Zverev could bounce the ball from 20 to 25 times before a serve. He argued that a returner should be judged on being ready at the start of the serving action instead. Zverev is No. 3 and has a 9-1 record in his last ten completed matches, form that carried through a demanding championship match.
Umpire instruction sharpened Shelton's view
The disagreement reached the chair during the final. Marijana Veljovic told Shelton to take his return position earlier, and he objected that Zverev could begin his routine whenever he chose. Shelton maintained that he would be ready before any ball was struck.
He said Zverev never used fewer than 10 bounces. Shelton called the requirement for the returner to wait at the line a "stupid rule" when a server has such a long routine. His point was about the strain of holding a prepared position rather than being unprepared for the serve.
Shelton wants a second-serve limit
Shelton did not argue for a restriction before every first serve. Instead, he proposed some form of limit on the time used before a second serve, while acknowledging he did not know the exact wording needed. His concern was the gap between points for both players and spectators.
The final also extended Zverev's unbeaten record against Shelton. That history adds context to the American's frustration, though his comments centered on procedure rather than the result itself. Any change would require tournaments to consider how returners are positioned while servers complete individual routines.
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