A day after winning the latest match in tennis history, Alexander Zverev shone again on Wednesday in of the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco, but in the worst possible way. The German, 3rd in the world in singles, was excluded from the Mexican event after having unpinned after a doubles game, lost in the super tie-break with the Brazilian Marcelo Melo against the Briton Lloyd Glasspool and the Finn Harri Heliovaara 6-2, 4-6, 10-6.
Zverev hit the referee’s chair three times with his racket, before briefly sitting down then getting up, insulting the referee and hitting his chair again with the racket. The organization of the Mexican tournament announced shortly after that the 24-year-old German was “suspended” from the event because of his “unsportsmanlike conduct”.
Heavy penalties ahead?
The Olympic champion in Tokyo should have played his second round in singles against his compatriot Peter Gojowczyk on Wednesday. We are now waiting for the sanctions that the ATP will necessarily take after such a freakout.