Alexander Zverev Makes Headlines Again With Explosive Umpire Outburst
The world number three blew up during his doubles' match at the Mexican Open.
Alexander Zverev has made headlines for the second day in a row.
Just hours after defeating Jenson Brooksby in the latest ending to a professional tennis match in history, Zverev has come under fire for an attack on an umpire.
The outbursts occurred during the Mexican Open in Acapulco, where Zverev and Marcelo Melo were playing against Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara in a first-round doubles match.
With the match tied at one set apiece, it went to a deciding tie-break. Zverev was furious with a contentious line call and completely lost his temper, launching an expletive-laden tirade at the umpire.
"Look where the ball bounced ... 8-6 in the tiebreak ... for f***s sake ... it's f***ing your line ... f***ing idiot," the world number three shouted.
The crowd audibly gasped at that final insult directed at the umpire, who issued Zverev with a code violation.
Despite winning the match 6-2 ,4-6, 10-6, Zverev wasn't finished and quickly shook his opponents' hands at the net before approaching the umpire's chair.
It was then when things turned somewhat physical with Zverev, in a display of blatant intimidation, firmly whacking the umpire's chair several times, only just missing his feet and legs as the umpire visibly flinched to escape harm's way.
The German still wasn't finished as he whacked the side of the chair one more time as the umpire was climbing down.
The ATP, tennis' governing body, responded quickly to the outburst, announcing the 24-year-old was kicked out of the tournament effective immediately.
"Due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the conclusion of his doubles match on Tuesday night, Alexander Zverev has been withdrawn from the tournament in Acapulco," the ATP said in a statement.
Zverev is all but certain to receive a lengthy ban for the attack on the umpire with many pundits pointing out that Australian Nick Kyrgios was banned from the tour for 16 weeks and fined $113,000 (USD) for verbally abusing an umpire in 2019.
The incident has been the third to make waves out of the Mexican Open with Australian John Milliman injured in a bizarre accident during his first-round match when he hit a ball into his own eye and Zverev and Brooksby's late-night finish also making worldwide news
Topics: Alexander Zverev, Tennis, Mexican Open, Australia
Ryan Rosendale