Alexander Zverev reveals how he truly feels about 'wife-beater' heckle in Munich, calls out 'idiots' in crowds
Alexander Zverev has shared his thoughts on being heckled by a spectator during the 2025 BMW Open in Munich. The German was called out over the domestic abuse allegations leveled against him by his ex-girlfriends, Olga Sharypova and Brenda Patea.
Zverev recently broke out of his slump by clinching his first title of the season in Munich after beating Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4 in the final. Despite his victory, the German's run at the ATP 500 event was marred by a fan in his homeland calling him a "wife-beater" during his quarterfinal clash with Tallon Griekspoor.
"Let's go, you wife-beater," the fan screamed (translated from German).
Upon arriving at the Madrid Open for his campaign at the ATP Masters 1000 event, Alexander Zverev opened up about the incident in his pre-tournament press conference. When asked if he was 'exhausted' by such treatment, the German clarified that he had appreciated the incredible support he received from the audiences in Munich during his run.
Nevertheless, Zverev acknowledged that there were bound to be a few "idiots" in the crowd and pointed out that this issue wasn't unique to tennis as he brushed aside the controversial comment.
"No, it's okay. In Munich, the crowd was amazing to be honest. I said this before, in the quarterfinal match against Griekspoor, I was mentally out of the match and the crowd was the one that got me back and I won the match because of the crowd so I can't complain at all," Alexander Zverev said.
"To be honest, there's always going to be one or two idiots everywhere. It's in every single sport, in football with racism, in tennis you have it somewhere else, it's just like that, it's how sport is. But for me, the crowd was amazing in Munich," he added.
Alexander Zverev was also heckled about his domestic abuse allegations at the Australian Open earlier this year. The German had expressed similar sentiments after that incident, pointing out that there had been "no more accusations" over the past year.
"It’s a special place for me, a place where I’ve had a lot of success" - Alexander Zverev on competing at the Madrid Open
Alexander Zverev is aiming to win his third Madrid Open title at this year's tournament, having previously triumphed in 2018 and 2021. During his press conference, the German took pleasure in competing in one of his favorite tournaments.
Zverev also gained confidence from his past success at the ATP Masters 1000 event ahead of his tournament opener.
"It’s one of my favourite tournaments. The centre court is my favourite court, I’ve only lost twice there in my life, so it’s a special place for me. It’s also a place where I’ve had a lot of success, so that helps. I hope to continue this year in the same vein as in recent years, winning big matches and going far in the tournament," Zverev said.
Following a first-round bye, Alexander Zverev will face Roberto Bautista Agut in his opening match in Madrid. The World No. 2 holds a 5-2 lead in their head-to-head record, including a 6-4, 6-4 victory in their latest encounter at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.