Alexander Zverev admits Mexican Open expulsion was ’embarrassing’ and the ‘worst moment of my life’

Alexander Zverev has labelled his extraordinary Mexican Open meltdown as ’embarrassing’ and the ‘worst moment of my life’. 

The world No 3 was fined £31,000 and handed a suspended eight-week ban after he verbally abused umpire Alessandro Germani – calling him a ‘f***ing idiot’ who ‘f***ing destroyed the whole f***ing match’ and smashed his racket on Germani’s chair.

And Zverev said his outburst was the ‘biggest mistake of my tennis career’, admitting he has taken up meditation to avoid it happening again.

He said: ‘It still is embarrassing for me. Walking around the locker room, it’s not a nice feeling. But we all do mistakes. I’m also a human being, and I can guarantee you I will never act this way again in my life. It was definitely the worst moment of my life.

‘I’ve been doing work, meditation-wise. There are stress situations in everyone’s life where stuff like this happens. I’m not the first, I won’t be the last for something bad to happen on the court. 

‘I know who I am as a person and this doesn’t reflect on me. I have played until 5am the day before – the same day I went back to play doubles.’ 

Alexander Zverev admitted his Mexican Open meltdown was the ‘worst moment of my life’

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

The German, 24, was fined £31,000 – half for verbal abuse, half for unsportsmanlike conduct – and forfeited more than £23,640 in prize money, plus all rankings points earned from singles and doubles action at the Abierto Mexicano tournament.

Following a review, the ATP found Zverev had committed ‘aggravated behaviour’ and issued an additional fine of £19,060 and an eight-week ban from any ATP-sanctioned event, both of which are suspended.

He therefore needs to avoid incurring any more fines for unsportsmanlike conduct over a probation period ending one year after the incident. 

Zverev (pictured) was given a £31,000 fine for verbal abuse and unsportsmanlike conduct

The 24-year-old was also handed a suspended eight-week ban following his Mexico outburst

After losing in doubles at Acapulco and upset over a line call in the match, Zverev approached umpire 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 struck 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. 

Zverev since called his actions ’embarrassing’ and ‘the biggest mistake of my tennis career’

And an apologetic Zverev said he would deserve a ban if he did something similar in future.

He added: ‘I am somebody that gives it his all on the court. A lot of top singles players would have maybe come out to the doubles court and if they would have lost, they would have been fine with it. I would have never physically harmed anyone.

‘If I do that again, they have every right to ban me – it’s as simple as that. If I do that again, it means I haven’t learnt. I think everybody in life deserves a second chance but if you repeatedly do mistakes it means that you haven’t learnt.’