World number three Alexander Zverev was ejected from the Mexican Open after hitting an umpire's chair with his racquet during the doubles tournament.
Partnering with Marcelo Melo of Brazil, Zverev and his teammate went down 2-6 6-4 10-6 to Great Britain's Lloyd Glasspool and Finland's Harri Heliovaara.
Zverev was infuriated with the umpire's decision to call a shot out during the tie-break, and he proceeded to shout at the umpire before attacking with his racquet.
Footage from the incident shows Zverev striking the umpire's chair three times in succession while maintaining eye contact with the official, who had to move his foot out of the way to avoid being hit.
German tennis player Alexander Zverev was kicked out of the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, for "unsportsmanlike conduct" after his doubles loss.
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) February 23, 2022
The world no. 3 claimed Olympic gold back in August but is this the mentality of a champion?pic.twitter.com/HhNwQAg5YI
The 24-year-old proceeded to sit down before getting up and hitting the chair once more, which led the ATP to boot him out of the singles tournament - in which he was the defending champion - for "unsportsmanlike conduct".
Zverev's actions come in the wake of domestic abuse allegations by his ex-girlfriend, although he has repeatedly denied the accusations.
Ben Knapton
