Alexander Zverev views the ATP ranking system as a theater of the absurd.
The seventh-ranked Zverev ripped the ATP’s revised ranking system as “a disaster” prior to his return to action in Acapulco.
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Pointing out he was a US Open finalist, a Rolex Paris Masters finalist and won successive titles in Cologne last year, Zverev called it absurd that he is ranked No. 7 behind sixth-ranked Roger Federer, who was sidelined for 13 months recovering from double arthroscopic surgery to his right knee. Last week, Federer edged Dan Evans in Doha in his first match in 405 days.
"I am the biggest Roger Federer fan, but he has not played for a year and is ranked higher than me," said Zverev, who split with Federer's Team8 Management earlier this year. "I played a Grand Slam final, a Masters 1000 final. The system is just a disaster."
Earlier this month, the ATP announced it has extended its “best of” rankings rule through August 9th, 2021.
That ruling means results from all events between March 4th-August 5th, 2019 that were not played in 2020 due to the pandemic will be extended a further 52 weeks and weighted at 50 percent. Under this ruling, a player will receive the better of their two results from the same tour-level event.
For instance, a player can count either 50 percent of his 2019 Madrid result, or 100 percent of his 2021 Madrid result—whichever is greater—for the next 52 weeks rankings period. One reason the ATP revised its ranking system was so that players not comfortable traveling and competing during the pandemic won’t take a huge ranking-points hit because they can fall back on 50 percent of their 2019 results.
Still, Zverev says common sense dictates it’s absurd he’s won two titles, reached a Grand Slam final and a Masters 1000 final and is still ranked behind Federer.
"The ranking doesn't really matter to me and with the system we have now, I should be top four top five in the world in the normal system, but the system we have now is a bit absurd," Zverev said.
A 2019 Acapulco runner-up to Nick Kyrgios, the second-seeded Zverev faces an intriguing first-round test against Spanish teenage wild card Carlos Alcaraz.
Photo credit: Abierto Mexican de Tennis Telcel