Alexander Zverev given suspended eight-week ban and fine by the ATP after Mexican Open outburst

Alexander Zverev has been handed a suspended eight-week ban for smashing his racket against the umpire’s chair at last month’s ATP 500 event in Acapulco, for which he was expelled from the tournament.

Zverev was fined $20,000 (£15,250) for verbal abuse, $20,000 (£15,250) for unsportsmanlike conduct and forfeited more than $31,000 (£23,640) in prize money and all rankings points earned from singles and doubles action at the Abierto Mexicano tournament.

Following a review, the ATP found the 24-year-old German had committed ‘aggravated behaviour’ and issued an additional fine of $25,000 (£19,060) and an eight-week ban from any ATP-sanctioned event.

The ATP said, however, the ban and the additional fine were suspended, providing that over a probation period ending one year after the incident, Zverev does not incur any more fines for unsportsmanlike conduct.

After losing in doubles at Acapulco and upset over a line call in the match, Zverev approached umpire Alessandro Germani’s chair and came perilously close to hitting him as he swung at the official’s stand before heading towards his courtside seat.

The 2020 U.S. Open runner-up then approached the chair a second time and again hit it while shouting expletives.

Shortly before the match ended, Germani handed Zverev a code violation for yelling and swearing in protest of the shot that was ruled in and set up match point.

The German was furious, crouched down and said, ‘look where the ball bounced, 8-6 in the tiebreak, for f***’s sake. It’s f***ing your line. 

‘You’re a f***ing idiot.’ 

When the game ended, the Olympic champion hit the chair three times as the crowd gasped in disbelief, before going on to shout, ‘you f***ing destroyed the whole f***ing match! The whole f***ing match’.

World No 3 Zverev was kicked out of the Mexican Open after attacking the umpire’s chair

The German was furious after a doubles loss in which he struck the umpire’s chair four times

Zverev, who was the singles defending champion, apologised for his behaviour.

The biggest penalty in men’s tennis to date was handed down to Australian Nick Kyrgios in 2019 for verbally abusing a chair umpire and smashing two rackets. After an initial fine of $113,000 (£86,170), he was given a suspended ban of 16 weeks and an additional fine of $25,000 (£19,060) following an ATP investigation.

Italy’s Fabio Fognini was also provisionally suspended for two Grand Slam tournaments and fined $96,000 (£73,200) following the 2017 U.S. Open where he had directed vulgar language toward Swedish chair umpire Louise Engzell during his first-round loss.