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Ben Shelton has called for tennis authorities to reconsider the rules governing second-serve timing after his US Open final defeat to Alexander Zverev.
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The American was frustrated by Zverev’s lengthy ball-bouncing routine, arguing that receivers should not be forced to remain in a tense position while waiting for a serve.
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Karen Khachanov had raised similar concerns after losing to Zverev in the semi-finals, although the German insists his routine is natural and not designed to unsettle opponents.
Shelton’s complaint came after the biggest Grand Slam run of his career, as the 23-year-old reached his first major final and became the first Black American man to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
Shelton Wants Tennis to Rethink Second-Serve Rules
Ben Shelton may have lost his first Grand Slam final, but the American left the US Open with a clear message for tennis authorities.
The 23-year-old wants the sport to reconsider how it regulates the time between serves, particularly when a server takes an extended period to begin a second-serve routine.
Shelton raised the issue after losing 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s US Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The American was particularly frustrated by Zverev’s habit of repeatedly bouncing the ball before serving.
While the German remained within the existing rules, Shelton argued that the current regulations do not adequately consider what the receiving player is expected to do during that period.
“I think that 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,” Shelton said.
Under the current rules, players have 25 seconds between points to serve.
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However, there is no separate time limit specifically controlling how quickly a player must deliver a second serve after a first serve is missed.
That distinction is at the centre of Shelton’s complaint.
Problem Shelton Believes Tennis Has Overlooked
For Shelton, the issue is not simply how long Zverev takes before serving.
It is what happens to the receiver during that time.
The American explained that he does not want to stand rigidly at the baseline while an opponent repeatedly prepares to serve.
He believes players should be allowed to remain loose and physically prepared rather than being expected to maintain a receiving position throughout an extended routine.
The situation became more noticeable during the final when chair umpire Marijana Veljović encouraged Shelton to get into position earlier.
Shelton disagreed with that approach because, in his view, the responsibility should not fall entirely on the receiver when the server has yet to begin the actual delivery.
“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,” Shelton said.
He then made the point more directly.
“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.”
Shelton did not present a fully developed alternative rule, but believes tennis should explore one.
“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,” he said.
Khachanov Had Already Raised the Same Issue
Shelton’s complaint gained additional significance because he was not the first player to express frustration with Zverev’s serving routine during this year’s US Open.
Karen Khachanov made a similar observation after facing the German in the semi-finals.
The Russian said Zverev’s repeated ball-bouncing could become irritating because the receiver is left waiting for the serve while remaining uncertain about when the actual delivery will begin.
“The way he bounces the ball, look, it annoys not only me but, of course, a lot of players because it takes so much time,” Khachanov said.
Yet Khachanov also acknowledged the difficulty of criticising Zverev when the German remains inside the existing regulations.
“If it is within the rules with the time between points, I cannot say anything against that,” he added.
That is also the distinction in Shelton’s argument.
The American has not accused Zverev of deliberately breaking the rules. Instead, he is questioning whether the rules themselves need to evolve.
Zverev: The Routine Is Not Deliberate
Zverev has previously rejected suggestions that his ball-bouncing is a calculated tactic.
The German insists it is simply part of his preparation before serving and said he does not consciously count how many times he bounces the ball.
“I’m not doing it on purpose!” Zverev said.
He even joked about the extent of the habit after seeing statistics tracking his routine.
“I saw the stat, I bounced it 12,000 times or something like that, it’s quite funny,” Zverev said.
His explanation creates an interesting dilemma for tennis.
If the routine is natural and remains within the rules, there is little reason for Zverev to change it simply because opponents find it irritating.
But if several players believe the routine affects their preparation, Shelton’s argument raises the question of whether the regulations should better balance the interests of both players.
Shelton’s Historic US Open Run
The controversy emerged immediately after Shelton had produced the best Grand Slam campaign of his career.
The eighth seed reached his first major final after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals.
Earlier in the tournament, he had also stunned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarter-final that finished at 3:33am local time.
His victory over Tiafoe made Shelton the first Black American man to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
That achievement gave the final an additional layer of significance as Shelton attempted to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick’s US Open triumph in 2003.
Zverev ultimately ended those hopes.
The German controlled the opening two sets before Shelton fought back to take the third and briefly appeared capable of producing another remarkable comeback.
Zverev responded decisively in the fourth set, breaking away to win 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 and secure his second Grand Slam title of 2026.
For Shelton, the defeat was undoubtedly painful, but his run established him as one of the leading figures of the next generation of American men’s tennis.
It also gave him a bigger platform to raise an issue that could now attract wider attention.
A Bigger Question for Tennis
Shelton’s argument ultimately goes beyond Zverev.
The German’s routine is currently legal, and there is no suggestion that he deliberately uses it to gain an unfair advantage.
But the fact that both Shelton and Khachanov independently complained about the same issue suggests that tennis may eventually have to examine whether its serving-time regulations remain fit for purpose.
The challenge for lawmakers would be finding a rule that protects the receiver without unnecessarily disrupting the server’s natural preparation.
For now, Zverev can continue bouncing the ball before serving.
Shelton, meanwhile, has made it clear that he believes tennis should start considering what happens on the other side of the net while the server is doing it.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
