In an unusual turn of events at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, a fan was ejected from the premises during the early hours of Tuesday morning. The fan was ejected after German player Alexander Zverev reported that the individual had used language associated with Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.
The incident unfolded during Zverev’s match against No. 6 seed Jannik Sinner. Zverev, seeded No. 12, was serving with the score tied at 2-2 in the fourth set. He suddenly approached chair umpire James Keothavong and gestured toward a fan sitting in a section behind the umpire.
Zverev informed Keothavong of the situation, stating, “He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is in this world. It’s not acceptable.”
In response, Keothavong turned around to address the fan, asking him to identify himself. He also requested that spectators in the vicinity show respect to both players. A short while later, during a changeover after Zverev had held his serve, the fan was identified by other spectators and subsequently escorted out of the stadium by security personnel.
Chris Widmaier, spokesperson for the U.S. Tennis Association, confirmed the removal of the fan, stating, “A disparaging remark was directed toward Alexander Zverev. The fan was identified and escorted from the stadium.”
Zverev Reflects on the Incident
Zverev, in a post-match interview, expressed his shock over the incident. He mentioned that he had experienced derogatory comments from fans before but had never encountered a situation involving Hitler’s references.
“He started singing the anthem of Hitler that was back in the day. It was ‘Deutschland über alles,’ and it was a bit too much,” Zverev recounted.
He continued, “I think he was getting involved in the match for a long time, though. I don’t mind it; I love it when fans are loud, and I love when fans are emotional. But I think me being German and not really proud of that history, it’s not really a great thing to do, and I think him sitting in one of the front rows, I think a lot of people heard it. So if I just don’t react, I think it’s bad from my side.”
Despite this unusual disruption, Zverev went on to lose the set, grappling with humid conditions while Sinner had struggled with cramps during the third set. Nevertheless, Zverev managed to regroup and clinch the fifth set, ultimately securing the victory after a marathon match lasting 4 hours and 41 minutes, concluding at approximately 1:40 a.m. Zverev is now set to face defending U.S. Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
Reflecting on the fan’s remark, Zverev maintained a composed outlook, remarking, “It’s his loss, to be honest, to not witness the final two sets of that match.”