In just one more day, the ball will start rolling at the Arena GNP Seguros. Several tennis stars have already landed in the southwestern city of Mexico. But did you know Alexander Zverev was once kicked out of the Mexico tournament? Let’s have a look at this moment surrounding the German star from two years back, which raised the temperatures in Acapulco.

Alexander Zverev is no stranger to controversies. In the 2022 edition of the tournament, he was booted out of the Mexican Open for his ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ after an outburst. Alexander Zverev violently smashed his rackets at the umpire’s chair after losing a doubles match.

Let’s revisit the controversial moment when Alexander Zverev was withdrawn from the Acapulco Open

The incident took place when Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo lost to Llyod Glaspool and Harri Heliovaara by 6-2,4-6,10-6 at the first-round match in a doubles event in Acapulco. Zverev initially received a code violation after he yelled at the chair umpire for a controversial decision saying, “Look where the ball bounced. It’s 8-6 in the tiebreak, look where the ball bounced. For f***k sake, it’s your line. It’s f***ing your line. You f***ing idiot.”

Then after the match, Alexander Zverev struck the umpire’s chair three times and yelled at him yet again saying, “he destroyed the whole(expletive) match.” He struck the chair once more while the umpire climbed down of it in fear of getting hit. Although Zverev was later seen handing his damaged racket to a little fan in the front row, his acts led to severe consequences two years ago.

Alexander Zverev was handed an 8-week suspended ban and fined $40,000 for smashing his racket against the umpire’s chair. “Due to unsportsmanlike conduct at the conclusion of his doubles match on Tuesday night.  Alexander Zverev has been withdrawn from the tournament in Acapulco,” ATP wrote on Twitter.

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Although Zverev later released a statement and apologized for his behavior to Alessandro Germani (chair umpire) and his fans. He described that moment as ‘the worst moment’ of his life. But how did the tennis world react to this incident?

‘I’d probably be in jail’- Serena Williams on the Zverev incident

The American tennis icon, Serena Williams was quick to point out the double standard that she faces in the Tour. She said she would ‘probably be in jail’ if she lashed out like the Zverev did.

Chris Evert also aligned with Williams’ statement of double standard and added, “I will tell you exactly how I feel. I think it was too lenient. I think it was too lenient.I am not here to sit back and make any judgments on Zverev as far as his behaviour or him as a person. From what I know and my contact with him. He’s always been very nice and very gracious. That punishment or that consequence to me is too lenient. He should have been out for months. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”

However, Novak Djokovic backed the German star in the Acapulco incident, stating, “Everyone is a human being.” What are your thoughts about that incident?

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