Alexander Zverev‘s series of setbacks continued at the Halle Open. The German faced a defeat at the hands of Hubert Hurkacz in the semi-final of the grass-court event. The World No. 4, who recently lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final, was unable to overcome the recent hurdle, losing 7-6(2), 6-4. Adding to the drama, Zverev’s actions after the match left fans and media stunned.

Zverev seemed to be stuffed up with frustration post-defeat. As a result of that, the German ATP star declined to attend the scheduled post-match press conference, inviting attention and a negative eye from the fans as well as the press. This refusal to indulge in a conversation with the media is a rare move from him, clearly indicating the intensity of his disappointment.

This disagreement with the media drew a big contribution from Hubert Hurkacz’s massive form. The Pole managed to dominate him through the showdown, particularly with his serve. The fifth-seeded ATP star fired 17 aces and saved all four break points, justifying his love for the green surface. “It needed to be really good,” Hurkacz commented on his performance post-match. Trying to console his rival, the Pole added, “He is such a good competitor and is playing good tennis.”

Hurkacz’s victory helped him advance to his 11th tour-level final, where he is set to face the world no. 1 seed Jannik Sinner. Zverev, on the other hand, will need to regather his morale and find a way to overcome this challenging phase. However, before moving ahead to the upcoming tours, he will have to get himself out of the recent controversy as fans surrounded him with questions and hateful comments.

Fans make predictions about Alexander Zverev’s absence from press

As soon as the update of Alexander Zverev’s denial to the media made its way on social media, fans came up with multiple thoughts and questions. While it was an act that they had witnessed before with different players on tour, it was easy for them to draw comparisons.

A fan straightaway drew Alexander Zverev’s response to the press parallel with that of Naomi Osaka. “Hope gets the full Naomi treatment,” he wrote. It was back in 2021 that the Japanese WTA star denied having conversations with the press. She was treated with immense hate and was imposed a fine of $15,o00.

Remembering the previous incidents where players have been fined for ignoring the press, another fan questioned, “Does he get fined for that”. Naomi Osaka and American ATP pro Christian Harrison are two clear examples of a similar case.

Aryna Sabalenka was emotionally downtrodden after her boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, left the world recently. While she denied having a conversation because of being in a situation of remorse, she still had to face the wrath of fans. “But he won’t be criticized like Osaka, Elena or Sabalenka,” a fan wrote, drawing learning from the brutal incident.

“I hope we get an announcement of a fine soon,” another fan said, curious about whether the German would face a similar fate as the players have previously faced. Another fan, simply regarding the recent incident as an act of frustration, referred to Alexander Zverev as “Sore loser”.

With these and several other similar comments falling on a similar note, the fans made it clear that they remember how similar cases were treated in the past. As they have already started to demand the imposition of a fine, it still remains to be seen how the authorities see to it.