World No. 2 Alexander Zverev has announced his withdrawal from the China Open in Beijing. He was scheduled to compete alongside Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP 500 event.
The decision comes shortly after Zverev criticized the ATP Tour schedule during the Laver Cup in Berlin.
“I do feel like we need to do something about it,” Zverev said last week regarding the crowded tennis calendar. “I mean, I’m on the player council, so I do think the ATP is working towards that. It’s not an easy solution but it’s definitely a solution that needs to be made.”
Zverev has spent the most hours on court out of all ATP Tour players in 2024 by a significant margin. The 27-year-old has played 75 matches across 19 events, totaling 172 hours of play. The next closest is Lorenzo Musetti, who has spent 129 hours on court.
Not being named in Germany’s Davis Cup Final 8 squad, it seems that Zverev is easing off in the final part of the year. This decision comes as he has few points to defend, has already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, and has no chance of surpassing Jannik Sinner for the year-end No. 1 spot.
Zverev was set to be the second seed at the China Open, where he reached the semi-finals last year. He will be replaced by Miomir Kecmanovic in the draw.
