Alexander Zverev has criticized the decision to eliminate let machines from Grand Slams, calling it “absolutely ridiculous” after making it to the Australian Open quarter-finals once again.
The German world No. 2 admitted he “stole” the first two sets against 12th seed Tommy Paul, eventually winning 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1. The American won just one point in the two tiebreaks, but his frustration boiled over in the first-set tiebreak when the umpire, Nacho Forcadelli, failed to notice that Paul’s serve had clipped the net while trailing 1-4.
When Forcadelli told Paul he hadn’t heard the ball touch the net, Paul fired back, saying, “You’re in charge of the lets. If you’re not going to hear that one, you’re not going to hear any.”
Zverev later expressed empathy for his opponent’s frustration.
“We’ve had this issue since last year’s French Open, where for some reason, Grand Slams stopped using let machines,” Zverev said. “To be honest, it’s ridiculous. We have cameras covering every inch of the court, video reviews, and all sorts of high-end technology. But a simple let machine that we’ve used for 25 years is no longer available at a Grand Slam.”
Zverev agreed that Paul had every right to be upset. “The point Tommy complained about was clearly a let. In that situation, I had no choice but to keep playing because if I stop and there’s no call, I lose the point. But it was a very obvious let.”
He added, “I don’t blame the umpire entirely because it’s hard to hear from that position, but it’s absurd that we don’t have a let machine at Grand Slams anymore. It’s been part of the game for 25 years, and now suddenly it’s gone.”
In his post-match press conference, Paul reflected on the situation, saying, “I was already down 4-1 in the tiebreak, maybe a double mini-break. I hit a serve that was a clear let, but the chair didn’t see it. I didn’t realize we didn’t have automatic let machines here. It didn’t lose me the match, but it was frustrating.”
Zverev’s win secured his fourth Australian Open quarter-final, equaling the German record held by Boris Becker, who won the tournament in 1991 and 1996. Zverev has now won 30 matches at the Australian Open, surpassing Becker’s total, though he’s still searching for his first Grand Slam title.
Reflecting on his pursuit of that elusive major victory, Zverev said, “The big difference is that Boris lifted this trophy twice. I haven’t yet, and that’s what really matters. Of course, it’s great to be part of the conversation about German tennis greats, but my focus is on lifting the trophy.”
