Alexander Zverev on Thursday took his social media to release a statement apologising after losing his mind and throwing four racket blows towards the chair referee in the ATP 500 doubles game in Acapulco, Mexico.
The German icon was very angry after the defeat to Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara and, out of control, discounted his will towards refereeing. Alessandro Germani almost got hit in the feet and got out of the chair to avoid the worst.
Tennis fans were astonished by Zverev’s violence and immediately called for him to be suspended and face a heavy punishment for the violent act.
“It’s hard to put into words how much I regret my behavior after the doubles match. I privately apologised to the referee that my outburst on him was wrong and unacceptable and I’m just disappointed in myself,” Zvereve wrote.
“This simply shouldn’t have happened and there is no excuse. I would also like to apologize to the fans, the tournament and the sport I love.
“As you know, I always leave everything on the court. Yesterday, I gave a lot. I will take the next few days to reflect, both on my actions and to ensure that something like this never happens again,” Zverev added.
According to reports, the ATP promises to also take strict action against Zverev. In addition , it is not ruled out that he is banned from playing for a long time after further consideration by the ATP.
“Due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the conclusion of his doubles match on Tuesday night, Alexander Zverev has been withdrawn from the tournament in Acapulco,” the ATP said in a statement.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. Under ATP rules, penalties for major offences include fines of up to $25,000.
