Ben Shelton calls for change to 'stupid' service rule after US Open final defeat

Alexander Zverev’s service routine has irked a number of players this fortnight, with the German bouncing the ball up to 25 times

Ben Shelton, right, of the United States, is congratulated by Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, after winning their match in the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Beaten US Open finalist Ben Shelton has called for a change to a “stupid” rule after being told he had to stand in position while Alexander Zverev bounces the ball.

Zverev’s service routine has irked a number of players this fortnight, with the German bouncing the ball up to 25 times before starting his serving motion.

While there is a 25-second rule for a first serve, there is none for a second serve.

Shelton was annoyed at being told by umpire Marijana Veljovic that he should be standing on the line ready to recieve, even though the serve might not come for another 30 seconds.

“I think there’s not an athlete in the world that you’re going to watch them do their thing and they’re going to sit in a ready position for 30 seconds before the play starts,” said the 23-year-old American.

“So for me it’s the same. 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.

“I’m going to try to stay loose, and you know, I’ll let him do his thing when he’s up there, but I’m not going to sit there, be locked in, focused, in a ready position for that long.

“(The umpire) 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’.

“But I shouldn’t have to sit at the line. If he’s bouncing the ball 20 to 25 times, I shouldn’t have to just sit there for that.

“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.” 

German top seed Zverev, 29, extinguished America’s hopes of a first male winner since Andy Roddick in 2003 with a 6-3 7-6 (2) 5-7 6-2 victory.

Though in a bizarre ending, when a Shelton return flew long on match point, Zverev hit the balls back down the other end ready for another game.

Only when Zverev glanced up to the big screen did he realise he had actually won.

He said: “I thought it was 5-1. I knew I’d broke him twice but I thought he’d only won one so I thought ‘I’m going to have a nice service game and then get tight’.

“Teachers used to tell you to forget about the score, so I did.”

The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as a child and had to use an insulin pen in his leg during the fourth set.

He added: “When your four-year-old son gets diagnosed with diabetes and doctors tell you that life and sports will be very limited, it takes a very strong mother to say ‘my son will be whatever wants to be’.”