Alexander Zverev has been ejected from the Mexican Open after directing an astonishing physical and verbal attack towards chair umpire Alessandro Germani in the closing moments of his opening-round doubles defeat.
Zverev, playing alongside Brazilian doubles specialist Marcelo Melo, repeatedly smashed his racket into Germani’s chair and aimed a foul-mouthed tirade at the shocked official following a 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 loss to Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Finland’s Harri Heliövaara.
The incident was swiftly followed by confirmation that Zverev, the defending singles champion at the tournament in Acapulco, will play no further part in the event. More severe sanctions seem certain to follow, starting with the loss of prize money and a fine, and potentially including a suspension from the sport.
“Due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the conclusion of his doubles match on Tuesday night, Alexander Zverev has been withdrawn from the tournament in Acapulco,” said an official statement from the event’s organisers.
The flashpoint came in the form of a disputed line call on the penultimate point. With the contest delicately poised at 8-6 in the match tiebreak, Melo appeared to leave a return from Heliövaara that was adjudged to have landed in, sparking an enraged outburst from Zverev.
“Look where the ball bounced for fuck’s sake,” screamed the world No 3. “It’s your line, it’s fucking your line. You fucking idiot.”
Zverev received a warning before Glasspool fired an ace beyond the German to seal victory. After the players exchanged handshakes, Zverev approached Germani’s chair and smashed his racket into it three times, narrowly missing the recoiling official’s leg. He sat down briefly before resuming his diatribe.
“You fucking destroyed the whole fucking match,” he yelled at the Italian official. “The whole fucking match.”
Zverev then took a fourth swipe at the chair with his shattered frame as the crowd’s initial shock gave way to boos and whistles. Their opprobrium was short-lived, however, as Zverev handed his smashed racket to a spectator before signing autographs.
Zverev later apologised for his behaviour in a statement issued on Instagram.
“It is difficult to put into words how much I regret my behaviour during and after the doubles match yesterday,” wrote the German. “I have privately apologised 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.
“I would also like to apologise to my fans, the tournament, and the sport that I love. As you know, I leave everything on the court. 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.”
On Monday, Zverev opened his title defence with an epic three-set victory over Jenson Brooksby, defeating the American 3-6, 7-6 (12-10), 6-2 in a match that finished at 4.55am local time, the latest conclusion to a professional match in history.
Zverev is currently under investigation by the ATP over allegations of domestic abuse against his former girlfriend Olga Sharypova at the Shanghai Masters in 2019. The 24-year-old has consistently denied all allegations against him.