WATCH: Jannik Sinner's shocking reaction to Alexander Zverev's controversial take on court speeds

Jannik Sinner was shocked after he was made aware of Alexander Zverev's claim of tournament directors making court speeds the same across different surfaces to favor the Italian and Carlos Alcaraz. The World No.2 went on to explain that neither he nor Alcaraz are responsible for the court speeds.

At the ongoing 2025 Shanghai Masters, ATP No. 3 Zverev surprisingly said after winning his second-round match against Valentin Royer:

"I hate when (court speeds are) the same. And I know that the tournament directors are going towards that direction because obviously they want Jannik (Sinner) and Carlos (Alcaraz) to do well every tournament...we always had different surfaces -- you couldn't play the same tennis the same way on a grass court, hard court and a clay court. Nowadays you can play almost the same way on every surface."

Later, after Jannik Sinner won his own second-round clash in Shanghai against Daniel Altmaier, the Italian player came to know about Alexander Zverev's claim during a post-match interview. Clearly surprised by what he heard, the former No. 1 and four-time Major champion questioned the interviewer to repeat what the German stated.

Jannik Sinner rejects Alexander Zverev's court speed allegations

Jannik Sinner needed a brief moment to digest Alexander Zverev's shocking claim before going on to share his opinion on the same. The Italian defended himself and current No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, saying that the pair is not at all responsible for court speeds spanning various tournaments. As per the 24-year-old, both he and the Spanish player have to continuously adapt to varying conditions across different events.

"You know, me and Carlos, we don't make the courts. It's not our decision. We try to adapt ourself in every situation. I feel like still every week is a bit different. I've played some great tennis even when it was faster courts. But I'm not making the courts, you know, so I just try to adapt and play my best tennis I can, and that's it," Sinner said.

While Sinner and Zverev are both playing at the Shanghai Masters Alcaraz pulled out from the ATP Masters 1000 events in China's biggest city because of physical issues. The Spanish player picked up an ankle injury during his title-winning run at the Japan Open in Tokyo before Shanghai.

Sinner is the defending champion in Shanghai, having defeated Novak Djokovic in last year's final.