Alex de Minaur Calls for New Tennis Serving Rule

Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur has called for changes to the rules governing serves in an effort to reduce delays during matches. The world No. 9 has proposed introducing a timer between first and second serves to prevent players from taking too much time. The issue gained attention after the US Open, when reports emerged that Alexander Zverev had bounced the ball more than 12,000 times between his first and second serves.

During the Shanghai tournament, de Minaur suggested that players should be allowed only one ball toss when serving. In his view, a second toss should be penalised as a fault, as some players use an unsuccessful attempt as an excuse to restart their entire serving routine. The proposal received support from renowned coach Brad Gilbert, who said he had been calling for a similar rule change for 40 years.

Zverev himself admitted that he had gone too far with his delays during the US Open, although he had stayed within the existing rules. The German explained that he is usually among the quicker players when serving, but his routine had taken longer than necessary on this occasion.

The debate raises the question of whether tennis authorities will introduce further restrictions to speed up play and reduce the length of matches.