A fan was kicked out of a US Open match on Tuesday after German player Alexander Zverev accused them of using language from the Adolf Hitler regime. The incident took place during the fifth game of the fourth set, with Zverev alerting the chair umpire, James Keothavong, to the fan’s behavior and pointing them out.
Zverev reported that the fan uttered the most famous Hitler phrase, which he deemed unacceptable. Keothavong asked the fan to identify themselves and reminded everyone to be respectful towards the players. Shortly after, other spectators identified the fan, and security escorted them out of the stadium.
“A disparaging remark was directed toward Alexander Zverev,” stated Chris Widmaier, U.S. Tennis Association spokesman, according to the Associated Press. “The fan was identified and escorted from the stadium.”
Zverev mentioned that he has been heckled before with derogatory comments, but Hitler’s rhetoric had never been used. “He started singing the anthem of Hitler that was back in the day. It was ‘Deutschland über alles’ and it was a bit too much,” Zverev said. He also expressed that as a German, he is not proud of that history and believes the fan’s behavior was inappropriate.
In the end, Zverev lost the fourth set to Jannik Sinner but managed to win the decisive fifth set. The match lasted a grueling four hours and 41 minutes. Zverev’s victory sets up a quarterfinal clash against defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz.
