Alexander Zverev Cruz Hewitt practice row: what really happened
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- A video from Shanghai sparked claims about a practice court clash.
- Fans said Zverev arrived late and stayed past his booked time.
- Zverev denied the claims. Officials have not confirmed any rule break.
Alexander Zverev denied claims about a practice court row in Shanghai. The row involved Cruz Hewitt and Ben Shelton. It started with a short video shared online.
The video spread fast on Saturday, October 10.
Fans said Zverev arrived late for his booked court. They said he then stayed past his slot. Zverev laughed off the claims.
He said people made the story up.
A practice row is a clash over court time. It is not a match. It is a dispute about who trains where.
This one grew big fast. Here is what we know so far.
What happened
Zverev had booked Court 5 for practice. His slot ran from 10:30 am to noon. That is what a fan report on Rednote said.
Spectators said he arrived at about 11:50 am His hitting partner had waited for more than an hour. That claim comes from fans at the court.
Ben Shelton and Cruz Hewitt were due next. Their slot was set to start at noon. Hewitt is the son of Lleyton Hewitt.
Lleyton Hewitt was once world No. 1. Video showed Hewitt talking with Zverev. Fans said the pair then moved to Court 10. Court 10 is an outer court with less space for fans.
The claims spread fast on social media. One fan said she sat in the front row for over an hour. She had come to watch Shelton and Hewitt train.
She said Zverev's partner even skipped rope while waiting. These are fan accounts, not official reports. No video shows the full booking sheet.
No video shows what staff told the players.
Zverev denied the story. He laughed when asked about it. "How can people make things like this up?
" he said. He gave no long reply. Tournament staff have not confirmed any rule break.
No official has said Zverev broke a rule.
Players book courts in two ways. They use the ATP Playzone app. Or they visit the Practice Desk on site.
Court marshals tell players when time ends. Top players often get longer practice time. That is part of the system.
It can still look unfair to fans.
Zverev also played doubles that day. He paired with Marcelo Melo. They lost 7-6(5), 7-6(5).
The loss came hours after the court claims. It added to a long day.
Why it matters
Practice courts are tight at big events. Top players share a small set of courts. Each slot has a fixed start and end time.
When one player runs late, the next pair waits. That can hurt warm-ups before a match. It can also upset fans who came to watch.
This row also hit a nerve for two reasons. First, Hewitt is only starting his pro path. Fans want fair treatment for young players.
Second, Zverev is world No. 2. Stars face more eyes on small acts. A short clip can shape a big story.
Why did the clip spread so fast? Zverev is a star. Hewitt is a famous name in Australia.
His dad is a tennis legend. Fans care when a young player seems pushed aside. A short clip feeds that fear fast.
Social media moves faster than facts. A clip shows seconds, not the full hour. A caption can add a claim.
A share can turn a claim into fact. Readers should ask what is missing. They should ask who filmed the clip.
They should ask what came before it.
Zverev has faced this kind of claim before. Last year, reports said he stayed past his hour at the US Open. Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison were waiting then.
That report came from The Guardian. It shows why court time rules matter. Players watch the clock at every event.
His father has spoken about this trait too. He said Zverev hates to leave the court. As a boy, he cried when practice ended.
Even now, he trains late at night. That love of practice can look like hogging a court. Fans read the same act in two ways.
Other players have set a clear norm. Coco Gauff has said players should respect court time. She said she stops a minute early.
Jessica Pegula said top players get better courts and times. She said she saw a clear shift as she rose.
There was also fresh heat from a match. Earlier in Shanghai, Wu Yibing criticized Zverev. Wu said Zverev tried to break his rhythm.
Zverev still won that match. The row kept the talk going.
Fans said Court 10 was hard to watch from. They watched through a fence. That added to the anger online.
A bad view feels like a snub. It does not prove a rule break.
What happens next
Zverev beat Quentin Halys on Sunday, October 11. The score was 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3. It was his 60th win of the season. The match lasted two hours and 17 minutes. Zverev saved all the break points he faced.
Halys did not make one break chance. Zverev praised Halys after the win. He called him one of the best servers in the world.
He next faces Alexander Bublik in round four. Bublik leads their past matches 3-1. Zverev has never won the Shanghai title. He reached the final in 2019. A first title here would mean a lot.
It would also boost his push to end the year as world No. 1. Jannik Sinner ended his season early with a knee injury.
That opened the door at the top. Zverev said he still wants Sinner back on tour.
Zverev has had a huge year. He won his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros. He then won the US Open in September.
Those two wins made 2026 his best Slam season. At the China Open, Novak Djokovic beat Zverev in the quarterfinal. The match had a row over a replayed point.
Djokovic went on to win the title.
He also had ankle scares in Shanghai. He slipped while chasing a shot against Wu. He moved stiffly late against Halys.
Fitness will matter in the next rounds.
Shanghai still has big matches left. Jakub Mensik also played at the event. Alex de Minaur faced fitness questions in Shanghai.
The draw stays open at the top.
For Hewitt, the row is still a footnote. He is young. He has time to grow.
His name will stay in the news. That comes with his dad's fame. What counts next is his tennis.
What do we still not know? We do not know the full booking sheet. We do not know what staff told each player.
We do not know if Zverev asked for more time. We only have fan clips and short replies.
What would settle it? A word from event staff. A look at the booking list.
A full reply from Zverev. None of those have come yet.
The next step is simple. Watch Zverev's next match. Watch what staff say.
Then judge the row with full facts.
In other sports news, football has its own row. Man City face a huge bill over claims they cost rival clubs.
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