Alexander Zverev (24), Germany’s No. 1 (third place in the world), recently attracted attention not only with good sporting performance.
At the tournament in Acapulco, he caused outrage with his racket attacks on the referee’s chair. The trigger for the anger was what he felt was a wrong referee’s decision in Marcelo Melo’s doubles loss to Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara.
At the press conference before the ATP tournament in Indian Wells, Zverev talks about his serious misconduct.
Zverev gives an insight into his emotional world: “It was definitely the worst moment of my life and my career.”
And further: “Sorry is probably not enough, the way I acted. It was embarrassing for me, it’s still embarrassing when I’m walking around or in the locker room. It’s not a nice feeling.”
Zverev will compete in doubles at the Indian Wells Masters tomorrow. His behavior will certainly be given special attention there.
The Hamburger draws a conclusion about his mega freak out: “That was probably the biggest mistake of my tennis career,” said Zverev. “At the end of the day I hope people can forgive me and understand that there is a lot of mental pressure and things happen that people don’t see and that we are all human. It’s not easy for me. But I deserve that it’s not easy for me right now.”
Whether it will be easier for Zverev in the future depends entirely on himself. It is clear that he is under special surveillance. Should he afford another freak out, he faces a two-month ban, which is currently suspended for a year on probation.
