German Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev said there “was no excuse” for smashing his racquet on the umpire’s chair several times and his foul-mouthed rant at the official was “unacceptable”, as he was expelled from the Acapulco Open by the ATP. 

‘Difficult to put into words’

Zverev, ranked three in the world, posted an apology posted on his Instagram account a few hours after his expulsion. “It is difficult to put into words how much I regret my behaviour during and after the doubles match yesterday,” he wrote.