World No. 3 Alexander Zverev has been suspended for eight weeks from ATP-sanctioned events following an investigation into his conduct at the Mexican Open last month.
The German was kicked out of the Acapulco tournament after hitting referee Alessandro Germani’s chair several times with his racket at the end of a doubles match.
At one point, Zverev nearly kicked the referee in the leg, and while he publicly apologized for the incident and privately to Germany, Miro Bratoev, ATP Senior Vice President of Rules and Competition, reviewed the 24-year-old’s behavior. which was concluded this week.
A statement from the ATP on Tuesday said: “An audit found that Zverev committed aggravated conduct under the section of the ATP Rules relating to serious player infractions. As a result, Zverev was fined US$25,000 and suspended for eight weeks from any ATP-sanctioned event.
“However, the fine and suspension are withheld provided that during the probationary period ending February 22, 2023 [one year from the incident]the player is not subject to further violation of the Code.”
This means that Zverev will now walk a tightrope with a further violation of the code for unsportsmanlike conduct or verbal or physical abuse towards “an official, opponent, spectator or any other person” on the court, resulting in an eight-week suspension, subject to any appeal process.
The US Open 2020 runner-up has already been fined $40,000 (£30,000) and forfeited its prize pool of over $30,000 (£22,500) for his actions.
Zverev has until Friday to appeal but has apologized for the incident, which took place on February 23 after a doubles match alongside Marcelo Melo against Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Finland’s Harry Heliovaar, who won 6-2 4-6 10-6. He wrote: “It’s hard to put into words how much I regret my behavior during and after yesterday’s doubles match.
“I personally apologized to the referee on the platform that my rage against him was wrong and unacceptable, and I am only disappointed in myself. This shouldn’t have happened and there’s no excuse for it. I would also like to apologize to my fans, the tournament and the sport that I love. As you know, I leave everything on the court. Yesterday I left too much. In the coming days, I will reflect on my actions and how I can ensure that this does not happen again. I’m sorry I let you down.”
After the shocking incident, Olympic gold medalist Zverev faced long-term calls for him, with Serena Williams telling CNN she would be in jail for such an incident and criticized the sport for “double standards.” sentence.