‘Spineless’ Alexander Zverev sentenced to one-year probation for outburst in Acapulco, faces no immediate suspension
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Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev, a gold medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics, was sentenced to a year of probation by the ATP on Monday for repeatedly smacking the chair umpire’s chair with his racket after losing in doubles at the Mexico Open.
Zverev will be suspended from ATP tournaments for eight weeks and fined an additional $25,000 if he gets a code violation that generally results in a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct or “verbal or physical abuse of an official, opponent, spectator, or any other person while on-court or on-site,” as per the ATP.
Last month, Zverev startled the tennis world at the Mexico Open. For verbal abuse and unsportsmanlike conduct, the World No. 3 was already fined $40,000. After he smashed his racquet against the umpire’s chair and hurled verbal abuse at the official, Zverev and partner Marcelo Melo were eliminated and Zverev was thrown out of the tournament. However, if Zverev does not commit another code violation in twelve months ending February 22, 2023, both the suspension and the additional $25,000 fine will be lifted.
Zverev, who is currently ranked No. 3 and finished runner-up at the 2020 U.S. Open, will have until Friday to challenge the ATP senior vice president of rules and competition Miro Bratoev’s decision. After reviewing what transpired last month in Acapulco, Mexico, Bratoev ruled that Zverev engaged in “aggravated behavior” as outlined by the ATP rulebook’s major offense section.
Crowd unhappy with Alexander Zverev’s “weak” punishment
Tennis fans on social media overwhelmingly saw the suspension as inappropriate given the gravity of the offense, with many demanding more security for umpires. Many people couldn’t believe the ATP didn’t take a direct attack on the chair umpire more severely. Cincinnati Masters drew comparisons, with some even alleging US Open officials were ‘corrupt.’
Many others believed the ATP should convey a far clearer message that such behavior would not be condoned. Many others on social media agreed and were stunned the outburst didn’t result in a suspension right away.
The crowd called the suspension “weak”, a “soft punishment” and a “total joke.” A Twitter user also said, “Serena is right. She would probably get a much stiffer suspension and fine. Zverev is way [out of] line.”
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Shilpi Pusadkar
(106 Articles Published)