Tennis star Alexander Zverev apologizes after getting kicked out of the Mexican Open for striking umpire's chair
Tennis star Alexander Zverev has apologized for his "wrong and unacceptable" behavior after getting kicked out of the Mexican Open.
After a loss in the tournament, Zverev angrily struck the umpire's chair with his racket several times, prompting the Association of Tennis Professionals to announce that "due to unsportsmanlike conduct," he "has been withdrawn from the tournament," ESPN reports. The German tennis player, who is ranked No. 3 in singles, wrote on Instagram that it's "difficult to put into words how much I regret my behavior" after the match.
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In addition to hitting the chair, he could be heard yelling at the umpire that he "destroyed the whole f---ing match" after he received a code violation earlier for yelling and swearing, according to The Associated Press. At one point during the outburst, Zverev appeared to nearly hit the umpire himself. He still faces the possibility of a suspension in addition to being kicked out of the tournament, TMZ notes. Zverev previously faced allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-girlfriend, which he has denied, according to The Washington Post.
"As you know, I leave everything on the court," Zverev wrote on Instagram. "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."
