“Disqualification Correct”
Djokovic blames and praises Zverev who has ticked off
2/23/2022, 9:12 p.m
Alexander Zverev allows himself an incredible freak: The tennis pro hits the referee’s chair several times with his racket. Novak Djokovic comments on the incident clearly, but also with mildness.
World number one Novak Djokovic thinks the disqualification of tennis Olympic champion Alexander Zverev after his freak out in Acapulco was correct. “I think the disqualification decision wasn’t too harsh. I think it was right under the circumstances,” said the 34-year-old Serb on the sidelines of his tournament appearance in Dubai. He hopes that Zverev can think about it and that something like this will never happen to him again.
At the tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, Zverev hit the referee’s chair several times after losing in doubles and was then excluded from the rest of the tournament by the men’s organization ATP. The 24-year-old from Hamburg then apologized for his behavior and announced that he would learn from the incident.
“I understand the frustration”
“It’s hard to put into words how much I regret my behavior during and after yesterday’s doubles,” he wrote in an Instagram story. His outburst was “wrong and unacceptable” and he was “disappointed in himself”. “It just shouldn’t have happened and there’s no excuse,” he says, but still writes: “I also want to apologize to my fans, the tournament, the sport I love.” He had previously “personally apologized” to the referee.
“He realizes that it was a mistake. I understand the frustration. Sometimes you feel a lot of different emotions on the pitch in the heat of the battle,” said Djokovic: “But of course I don’t justify his behavior.” Zverev’s statement was correct. “He said he made a mistake and his behavior was inappropriate.” The 20-time Grand Slam tournament winner was himself disqualified from the US Open 2020 because he unintentionally shot a line judge with the tennis ball in frustration.