Tennis News Roundup: Alexander Zverev bluntly criticizes 'sad' Davis Cup scheduling; Carlos Alcaraz goes against Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni after bold suggestion

Germany defeated Argentina to reach the Davis Cup semifinals, but Alexander Zverev wished the contest had been held in one of the two countries instead of Italy. Carlos Alcaraz voiced disagreement with Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, who suggested a major change in tennis.

Tennis commentator Jonathan Overend predicted Coco Gauff to win three Grand Slam titles next year. Aryna Sabalenka revealed that she accidentally discovered tennis while driving around with her late father. Fans expressed their disappointment at Learner Tien's absence from the ATP Breakthrough Player of the Year award nominees.

Let's look at the stories of the day:

#1. Alexander Zverev slams Davis Cup format and scheduling

Alexander Zverev - Source: Getty

Alexander Zverev helped Germany defeat Argentina in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Bologna, Italy. However, the World No. 3 was unimpressed with the low fan attendance and said more people would have turned up in Germany or Argentina.

The first match saw Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets. Zverev leveled the scores by overcoming Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6(3). In the decider, the German pair of Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz downed Andres Molteni and Horacio Zeballos.

Zverev later said:

"I will always defend my country's colors and give my best. But don't you find it sad that this tie was decided with barely 1,000 people in the stands? If we had played in Argentina or Germany, we would have had an incredible atmosphere with 15,000 people. I find it sad."

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#2. Carlos Alcaraz strongly disagrees with Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni on changes in tennis

Carlos Alcaraz was recently asked about Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach, Toni, who suggested that the size of tennis rackets should be reduced. The World No. 1 disagreed, saying:

"It would be like taking a step backward. Tennis started with wooden rackets, then moved to metal, aluminum, and now we have other types of rackets that allow you to generate more spin. Before, the game was played flatter, with more slice, without as much speed." "Over the years, by Rafa's time, the game was already played faster than before, and now it's even faster. We can't go against evolution. We have to be physically prepared for the speed at which the game is being played. I'd say I don't buy into that idea," he added.

Alcaraz had a memorable season, as he won eight singles titles, including two Grand Slams. The Spaniard lost the ATP Finals title clash to Jannik Sinner on November 16.

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#3. Tennis commentator tips Coco Gauff to win 3 Majors in 2026

Jonathan Overend believes Coco Gauff will win three of the four Grand Slam titles next season. She has so far won two Majors - the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open.

Overend remarked that Elena Rybakina will win the Australian Open, with Gauff taking the rest of the Grand Slam trophies next year.

The American rallied from a set down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final this year. She also beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets in the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open summit clash. Gauff also reached the Madrid Open and the Italian Open finals, but lost to Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini, respectively.

#4. Aryna Sabalenka says she discovered tennis while driving around with her late father

Speaking at the 150th anniversary of luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet, Aryna Sabalenka recently revealed that when she was six years old, she drove past a tennis court along with her late father, Sergey. It was her first encounter with the sport, and she immediately took to it.

An ice hockey player for Belarus back in the day, Sergey died of meningitis in 2019.

“Believe it or not, I found tennis by accident. One day, I was driving around with my dad, and we passed some tennis courts, so we got out of the car and I decided to try it. I immediately fell in love with the sport, and it has been a part of my life ever since," she said.

The 27-year-old finished the year as the World No. 1. She defended her title at the US Open but recently lost the WTA Finals summit clash to Elena Rybakina.

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#5. Fans react angrily to Learner Tien's absence from ATP Breakthrough of the Year award nominees

Learner Tien was the World No. 122 at the beginning of 2025. However, he won his first singles title at the ATP 250 Moselle Open earlier this month to achieve a career-best 28th rank.

This is the reason fans online were livid when the 19-year-old American missed out on the ATP Breakthrough Player of the Year award nominations to Jack Draper, Joao Fonseca, Valentin Vacherot, and Jakub Mensik.

"I’m not even one of his shooters but there’s really no way to explain Tien being left off of here. Insane snub tbh," one fan wrote."This is absolutely ridiculous. Someone should get fired for this," another added."Why is Jack Draper even here lol his breakthrough season was 2024," one fan commented.

Edited by Parag Jain