Alexander Zverev given eight-week suspended ban for attacking umpire's chair, can play at Indian Wells
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Published 08/03/2022 at 08:46 GMT
World No.3 Alexander Zverev will be free to play at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells this week after he was not punished further by the ATP for attacking an umpire's chair with his racquet at the Mexican Open. Zverev could face a ban and another fine if he crosses the line in the next 12 months. He has until March 11 to appeal against the decision.
Watch the shocking moment Zverev attacks umpire’s chair with racquet
Alexander Zverev has been given an eight-week suspended ban for his attack on the umpire’s chair at the Mexican Open.
He was also fined the maximum amount possible of $40,000 for verbal abuse and unsportsmanlike conduct, and forfeited his prize money and lost all his ranking points from the tournament.
However, he will not face any further punishment as long as he does not break the rules again in the next year.
The ATP’s senior vice president of rules and competition Miro Bratoev conducted the review into the incident and it was found that “Zverev committed Aggravated Behaviour under the Player Major Offense section of ATP Rules”.
He will be hit with an eight-week ban and fined an additional $25,000 if he receives a code violation that results in a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct or for “verbal or physical abuse of an official, opponent, spectator or any other person while on-court or on-site” within the next 12 months.
“If the conditions are met, the penalties will be formally dismissed following the completion of the probation period” said a statement from the ATP.
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“If the conditions are not met, the penalties will be invoked after any appeal process is exhausted.”
Zverev, who has until March 11 to appeal against the decision, returned to the court in the Davis Cup at the weekend and won both of his singles matches for Germany.
He is also set to play at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells this week.
He apologised after the incident in Acapulco, saying: “It is difficult to put into words how much I regret my behavior during and after the doubles match yesterday.
"I have privately apologized to the chair umpire because my outburst towards him was wrong and unacceptable, and I am only disappointed in myself. It just should not have happened and there is no excuse.
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‘We need to punish him accordingly’ – Wilander says Zverev return ‘too soon’
"As you know, I leave everything on the court. Yesterday, I left too much. I am going to take the coming days to reflect on my actions and how I can ensure that it will not happen again. I am sorry for letting you down.''
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander had called on the ATP to issue Zverev with a suspension.
“If a player breaks his racquet on the umpire’s chair and he is literally a few centimetres away from hitting the umpire’s leg, he should not be allowed to get on a tennis court until he has gone through some kind of rehab, some kind of time,” Wilander told Eurosport.
“We need to punish him accordingly, and allowing him to come out and play professional tennis the week after or two weeks after, that is too soon.
“To me, money does not do it, and I think you either give someone with that behaviour a three-month suspension or a six-month suspension. You do not allow him to play the most important tournaments on his calendar. Now, the most important tournaments are most probably the Grand Slams, the ATP 1000, the Davis Cup.”
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