ATP rankings: Alexander Zverev - "The whole system sucks"
As can be seen from the current ranking breakdowns, the regulation according to which the points scored from Indian Wells 2019 count for another year should also apply to the ATP Finals. Alexander Zverev is not happy about that.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Nov 20, 2020, 07:01 pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas will not have left the London O2 Arena particularly happy after his three-set loss to Rafael Nadal . If the information from tennisnet is correct, then the Greek will receive a gift of 1,100 ATP points from the ATP for the offseason. And above all in the next tennis year. Because the ATP Council has reportedly decided that the counters achieved at the ATP Finals 2019 should be included in the rating for another year.
In all likelihood, the same regulation will apply as for all tournaments that were scheduled or were held this year after the start of the Corona break. A concession, especially to the top players: Rafael Nadal was allowed to calmly prepare for the French Open, the Spaniard certainly knew his 2,000 points for the 2019 US Open success even without a trip to New York. Nadal had no incentive to hit Flushing Meadows on the ATP charts.
Dominic Thiem, in turn, got the best out of it: After his opening defeat against Thomas Fabbiano more than a year ago, the Austrian was happy to take the 2,000 points with him for his first major triumph. And didn't have to worry about the quarter-final defeats in Roland Garros against Diego Schwartzman and in Vienna against Andrey Rublev: In Thiem's Rankings Breakdown 1,700 points are noted for these two tournaments. In a "normal" year, Thiem would only have taken 450 meters with him.
Alexander Zverev is one of the victims of the current situation: With the semi-finals in Australia, the final at the US Open, two tournament wins, the German number one would be higher up in the ATP charts in a normal year. He shrugged the presumed "gift" to Tsitsipas at the press conference after his defeat by Novak Djokovic: "The whole system sucks."
Federer and Berrettini also benefit
The fact that the season-end tournament is now also to be covered by the defense amnesty does not only make people sit up and take notice in the case of Tsitsipas. Because even Roger Federer, who has not played a match since his semi-final at the Australian Open in early 2020, will take 400 additional points with him on his comeback journey in the coming year. And Matteo Berrettini can still draw from the 200 points for the success in the last group match in 2019 against Dominic Thiem. In fact, it is already noted in the Rankings Breakdown that Federer will only get his 400 points deleted on November 8, 2021
The final points do not count towards the race in the following year. However, they play a major role when it comes to placing in the tournaments. For comparison: The 1,100 points that Stefanos Tsitsipas will be credited back from Monday would be enough for 48th place in the ATP world rankings. Kyle Edmund had to put in a lot more work for his 1,085 points.
Even the continuation of the counters outside the finals was not met with approval from some players. Especially not when it comes to qualifying for London. Karen Khachanov, for example, had already noted at the "Thiem's 7" exhibition tournament in Kitzbühel that the 2020 race would be a farce because six players were qualified for the unofficial world championship from the outset.