US Open expels fan who directed ‘Hitler regime’ at Zverev

NEW YORK – A fan was ejected from a US Open tennis match early Tuesday morning after German player Alexander Zverev complained that the man used language from Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.

Zverev, seeded No. 12, was serving at 2-2 in the fourth set of his match against Jannik Sinner, seeded No. 6, when he suddenly walked up to referee James Keothavong and pointed towards the fan who was sitting in a section behind the player. to rule.

“He just said the most famous phrase of Hitler in this world,” Zverev told Keothavong. “this is unacceptable.”

Keothavong turned back and asked the fan to introduce himself and then asked the fans to respect both players. During a substitution shortly after Zverev’s serve, the fan was recognized by others sitting near him, and was escorted out by security.

“An insulting remark was made toward Alexander Zverev,” said Chris Widmaier, spokesman for the US Tennis Association. “The fan was identified and removed from the stadium.”

Zverev said after the match that he had asked fans to make insulting comments before but not comments related to Hitler.

“He started singing Hitler’s anthem, which was at the time,” Zverev explained. “It was a Deutschland über alles film, and it was a bit over-the-top.

“I think he’s been in the game for a long time, though. I don’t mind it. I like when the fans are loud. I like when the fans are emotional. But I guess I’m German and I’m not really proud of it.” “The history, it’s not really a great thing, and I think he was sitting in one of the front rows, and I think a lot of people heard him. So if I don’t react, I think it’s bad on my part.”

Zverev continued to lose that set when he began to suffer from the wet conditions after Sinner suffered severe cramps in the third set. But Zverev recovered to win the fifth set, ending the 4-hour, 41-minute match at around 1:40 a.m. He will then play US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

Zverev said it wasn’t difficult to get past the fan’s remark.

“Honestly, it’s his loss, not watching the last two sets of that match,” Zverev said.