Alexander Zverev learns his fate after smashing umpire’s chair with his racquet

Alexander Zverev has been handed a suspended eight-week ban for smashing his racquet 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.

<p lang=«en» dir=«ltr» xml:lang=«en»>Zverev: ATP: Be a good boy for a year and weâll say no more about it. pic.twitter.com/L0usRd6Oeu (@PrimeVideoSport)

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 fing your line.

‘You’re a f***ing idiot.’

When the game ended, the Olympic champion hit the chair