The 24 year-old German tennis player was kicked from the Mexican Open after smashing his racket on the umpire’s chair.
“Due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the conclusion of his doubles match on Tuesday night, Alexander Zverev has been withdrawn from the tournament in Acapulco,” was the statement displayed on the ATP’S Twitter Wednesday morning.
German tennis player Alexander Zverev was removed from yesterday night’s Mexican Open after breaking his racket on the umpire’s chair. He struck it three times after losing the doubles’ match.
Zverev and Brazilian Marcelo Melo lost to Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 6-2, 4-6, and 10-6 on Tuesday’s game in Acapulco.
Zverev originally had received a code violation for yelling and swearing at a ruled-in shot.
After the match ended with an ace however, Zverev took it a step further.
He struck umpire Alessandro Germani’s chair three times, breaking his bat. He then proceeded to sit for a second, get up, and yell “[you] destroyed the whole f***ing match” and hit the chair yet again.
Zverev was the defending champion in the singles rounds.
On Wednesday, Zverev stated on his Instagram that he “regret[s] [his] behaviour during and after the doubles match yesterday. I have privately apologized to the chair umpire because my outburst towards him was wrong and unacceptable, and I am only disappointed in myself. It just should not have happened and there is no excuse.”
Zverev might also be suspended from future competitions. This was his fifth time playing in Mexico after winning in the 2021 finals games.
“As you know, I leave everything on the court,” he also stated on Instagram. “Yesterday, I left too much. I am going to take the coming days to reflect — on my actions and how I can ensure that it will not happen again. I am sorry for letting you down.”
Before leaving, Zverev handed his broken racket to a crowd of people in the front row.
See also from Beijing Olympics 2022:
