Alexander Zverev interrupted his match against Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the fourth set to report a fan for making an offensive comment. Zverev told referee James Keothavong that the fan had shouted a famous phrase associated with Adolf Hitler, describing it as “unacceptable”.
Keothavong immediately attempted to identify the individual, but the fan did not come forward. The referee then called for respectful behavior from the crowd. Shortly after, the fan was located by nearby spectators and escorted away by security.
After the match, Zverev explained that the fan had sung “Deutschland Uber Alles”, an anthem of Nazi Germany. While Zverev appreciates energetic and loud fans, he stressed that such disparaging comments were especially sensitive given his German heritage and historical implications. “If I don’t react, I think it’s bad on my part,” he added.
The United States Tennis Association confirmed that the individual was removed after a “derogatory comment” directed at Zverev.
Despite the stoppage, Zverev won the intense 4 hour 41 minute match, defeating sixth seed Jannik Sinner to advance to the quarter-finals. He is scheduled to face defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the next round.
This article is sourced from and written by AI.
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