A scandalous decision by the tennis authorities after Zverev’s attack. “Absolutely wild precedent”

This is a continuation of the story of Alexander Zverev, who attacked the referee at the end of February after losing a doubles match in the ATP tournament in Acapulco. The German tennis player started hitting the racket on the stool near his legs. Italian referee Alessandro Germani fled the court terrified. The tournament organizers kicked Zverev out of the singles competition in Acapulco. In addition, a fine of PLN 40,000 was imposed on him. dollars.

Part of the tennis community was outraged by the low penalty that befell the 24-year-old tennis player. Zverev was not disqualified for longer, and in recent days he represented Germany in the Davis Cup against Brazil. The amount of the fine was also ridiculous, considering that it is the world’s top tennis player who has already earned over $ 30 million on the court.

Another punishment for Zverev

On Tuesday, ATP released another communiqué regarding Zverev. An additional fine of PLN 25,000 was imposed on the German. dollars and an eight-week suspension from all ATP tournaments. However, both penalties were imposed suspended until February 22, 2023, one year after the Acapulco incident. If Zverev doesn’t do anything during this time, he will not be punished.

This means that Zverev is allowed to play without any interruption. He can join the Masters 1000 tournament starting on Wednesday in Indian Wells, he can play at the end of March in the next Masters 1000 in Miami. The ATP allowed him to play, as did the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which organizes the Davis Cup games and Grand Slam events.

Critics of the German’s pitch behavior, however, recall other accusations that still hang over him. – I was severely depressed. It was hell. I didn’t want to go on – accusing my ex-fiancé of violence. In a long interview for “Raquet”, Sharipova told shocking stories. Zverev denies everything, and the ATP organization has been investigating for months.

A dangerous precedent

“This is an absolutely wild precedent for what is not suspended. If the brutal hitting of a racket next to a referee, looking at him and shouting curses in his direction, does not lead to the suspension of a tennis player, how would he break the boundaries? Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times asks.

“It’s embarrassing,” commented former tennis player Rennae Stubbs, winner of six doubles and mixed tournaments.

Tennis authorities defend their players

World tennis authorities extend a protective umbrella over their players. They turn a blind eye to the scandalous behavior of Zverev, did not suspend Russian or Belarusian tennis players after the invasion of Ukraine, tolerate the irresponsibility of Novak Djokovic, who is the only tennis player in the top rankings still not vaccinated against COVID-19.

If ATP reacted like a serious sports organization, four Top 10 tennis players should not be admitted to the tournament in Indian Wells: third in the ranking Zverev, Russians Danił Medvedev (leader of the ranking) and Andrej Rublev (seventh in the world) and runner-up Novak Djoković. However, ATP is afraid to expose the biggest stars, it is concerned about the financial losses resulting from their suspension.

Medvedev, Rublev and other Russians and Belarusians can still participate in ATP and Grand Slam tournaments (these are organized by the ITF), and the only “punishment” they faced was the lack of a flag next to their name and the suspension of their national tennis associations. There are no penalties in the context of military operations in Ukraine.

Especially that representatives of other individual sports have already excluded players from Russia and Belarus. Such decisions were made, among others, by world federations of athletics, skating, badminton, rowing, canoeing and triathlon. Last Tuesday, the International Ski Federation (FIS) threw skiers from Russia and Belarus from the competition.

Medvedev and Rublev have published anti-war posts on social media in recent days. The highest-ranked Russian (14th WTA) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova admitted in an interview with CNN that “private ambitions or political motives cannot justify violence”. “Limiting ourselves to prohibiting the use of representative symbols by these tennis players is a blow to Olympic ideas, but above all a slap aimed at Ukrainian citizens dying in the war and a slap against the community of all countries in the world supporting a free and independent Ukraine” – wrote the Polish authorities in a statement. Tennis Association.

Djoković can do almost anything

Then there is the matter. In January, the Serb was not admitted to the Grand Slam Australian Open by the Australian authorities. On this occasion, a number of irregularities on the part of Djoković were revealed. The Serb admitted that, despite the knowledge of a positive test result, he met a journalist and photographer from French media, he also mistakenly filled out a travel declaration on his way to Australia. In addition, during the first wave of the pandemic, he organized a series of Adria Tour tournaments without adequate safety conditions, and the participating tennis players – including Djoković himself – contracted the coronavirus. Neither the ATP nor the ITF authorities punished him for all this.

Djoković can do almost anything he wants. The best proof? Despite the inability to travel to the USA – as unvaccinated he is practically not allowed to cross the American border – and perform in Indian Wells, he still has not withdrawn from the list of applications for the tournament. As a result, he took the opportunity to play without being eliminated from first in line Joao Sousie. It was similar before the Australian Open – he did not withdraw himself then, only the organizers had to remove his name from the list of entered competitors.

Williams and Wilander are criticizing

“The weakness of ATP is remarkable here, not only for Zverev, but for many other players over the past few years.” They just can’t keep an eye on their tennis players, writes Rothenberg. Not so much they can’t, as they don’t want to.

Outraged by the gentle treatment of 24-year-old Zverev, she is 23 Grand Slam winner Serena Williams. The American claims that she would face a harsher punishment for what Zverev did in Acapulco. “There are completely double standards,” Williams, 40, told CNN. – I would probably go to jail if I did what Zverev did, if I did –

Mats Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, thinks the same. – Zverev should be suspended for three or six months. He should undergo a rehabilitation process. It’s not good for tennis to see it competing so soon after the Acapulco incident, the Swede said.