The ATP has issued an eight-week suspension to Alexander Zverev.

The ATP has suspended Alexander Zverev for eight weeks after he smashed his racket against the umpire’s chair at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco last month.

Zverev was penalized $20,000 for verbal abuse and another $20,000 for poor sportsmanship behaviour. Nearly $31,000 in prize money and all ranking points won in the Abierto Mexicano tournament were forfeited.

Following an investigation, the ATP determined that the 24-year-old German had engaged in “aggravated behaviour,” and imposed a $25,000 penalty as well as an eight-week suspension from all ATP-sanctioned competitions.

The ATP added, however, that the suspension and additional punishment will be suspended if Zverev did not receive any more sanctions for poor sportsmanship behaviour during a one-year probation period after the event.

Zverev approached umpire Alessandro Germani’s chair after losing in doubles in Acapulco, unhappy at a line decision in the match, and came perilously close to striking him as he swiped at the official’s stand before walking to his courtside seat.

The runner-up in the 2020 US Open then approached the chair again and slammed it against it while uttering expletives. Just before the match finished.  Germani punished Zverev with a code violation just before the match ended for raving and shouting in protest over the ruled-in shot that set up match point.

Alexander Zverev, apologised for his behaviour. In 2019, Australian Nick Kyrgios received the worst punishment in men’s tennis history for verbally insulting a chair umpire and shattering two rackets. Following an ATP investigation, he was handed a suspended suspension of 16 weeks and an additional fine of $25,000 after an original fine of $113,000 was imposed.