"To see Alexander Zverev going out and smashing his racquet so close to the umpire was outrageous, deserved at least 3-tournament suspension" - Marion Bartoli
Marion Bartoli recently weighed in on Alexander Zverev's outburst at the 2022 Mexican Open, claiming that the German should have been handed at least a three-tournament ban for his "outrageous" actions.
The World No. 3 stirred up a major controversy in Acapulco a few weeks ago, violently assaulting the umpire's chair after disagreeing with a line call. Zverev was subsequently disqualified from the tournament for "unsportsmanlike conduct" and was docked all ranking points and prize money from the event.
After investigation, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) levied a total fine of $65,000 on the 24-year-old and put him on one-year probation. The decision was widely criticized by tennis fans and pundits for being too lenient, a sentiment Bartoli agreed with as well.
Speaking during a panel discussion for Tennis Majors, the Frenchwoman remarked that Zverev should not have been allowed to play at the recently concluded Sunshine Double and the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters.
Although the German was eliminated from Indian Wells in his opener by Tommy Paul, he reached the quarterfinals in Miami and went on to regain the World No. 3 spot from Rafael Nadal this week.
"To see Alexander Zverev just going out and smashing his racquet so close to the umpire and almost just wanting to attack him, staying in that fine line where he didn't touch him and can defend himself, to me that was outrageous," Bartoli said. "That, to me, deserved at least a three-tournament suspension. Not play Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo. It deserved that at least. Otherwise, where do you draw the line?"
Referring to the fine the 24-year-old had to pay up, Marion Bartoli noted that it was peanuts compared to what he earns as a tennis professional. In the former World No. 7's opinion, it was not a sufficient deterrent against such incidents happening again in the future.
Alexander Zverev was fined a total of $65,000 for what he did in Acapulco.
In 2021, the payout for losing in the first round of the US Open was $75,000.
Not a dent.
The former Wimbledon champion added that she did not think Zverev would have learned the lessons he ought to have learned from the incident as a result.
"[The fine] was a big amount for normal people, but for tennis players such as Alexander Zverev who earns so much on and off the court, that was not that much," Bartoli said. "I don't think he will learn the lessons he should have learned."
Marion Bartoli places blame on ATP for incidents such as Alexander Zverev's becoming more rampant
Alexander Zverev's incident at Acapulco was part of a series of outbursts involving tennis players in recent weeks. Nick Kyrgios and Jenson Brooksby came dangerously close to hitting ball kids at Indian Wells and Miami respectively.
Nick Kyrgios threw his racquet after losing against Rafael Nadal and it nearly hit a ball boy 😮
Rafael Nadal wants ATP to do something to stop these incident, before something bad happens 👏
#NickKyrgios #RafaelNadal #BallBoy #Tennis #IndianWells https://t.co/ihsl7iwtQu
Although they were accidental (since both players' racquets bounced unexpectedly when they tried to smash them to the ground in frustration), it still invited widespread criticism from all quarters.
This is a better view of the Brooksby incident. 2 scenarios for a default (per a Supervisor)
1) The contact, even if unintentional, creates a serious injury.
2) If the act is intentional. So let’s say a player tried hit a ball at the umpire, but missed, that’s a default. https://t.co/ECepplpkqq
During the discussion, Marion Bartoli touched on those incidents as well, remarking that it was the ATP's fault for not taking proper action to begin with. While the 37-year-old conceded that players are responsible for their own behavior, she rebuked the association for not doing enough to discourage such actions.
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"Unfortunately, the ATP is not ready to take proper action. I feel so bad for them because they're looking the worst out of this whole situation," Bartoli said. "Yes, the players answer for their own behavior, but if you don't stand up as an institution, then where are you?"