The debate over Alexander Zverev’s alleged “cheating” in the French Open has further intensified. Although he won the quarterfinal match against Alex De Minaur, the debacle over a coin toss controversy that happened before the match has created a division of opinions among tennis fans and experts alike. Some are on his side, while others have expressed their dissatisfaction over the incident. Voicing his opinion on the subject, the former tennis pro, Tennys Sandgren, has also joined the chorus revealing his perspective on the matter.

Re-sharing an X post of a leading journalist, Ben Rothenberg, which includes the video of the incident, the former American player wrote, “There’s not a snowballs chance in fuck he did this on purpose dude.” A laughing emoji at the end of his sentence further highlighted that he found the entire incident to be rather funny than an intentionally committed act.

It all started during a customary coin toss regarding who would serve first. When the German player was initially asked about which side he wanted to pick, his loud response of “ball” was heard by all. However, the twist came after the umpire tossed the coin and it landed on the racquet side. As soon as it landed, the 27-year-old player jumped in to say, “No, I said racquet.” 

When pressed on the subject, Alexander Zverev provided another “yes” from his side, emphasizing he had said “racquet” all along. However, Zverev then said to De Minaur, “But if you want to go, you go. I’ll receive.” Although Zverev went on to serve first, the whole incident gave rise to a sense of uneasiness among the tennis enthusiasts. The Canadian tennis commentator Ben Lewis wrote on his X, “How is Alexander Zverev getting away with dirty club level cheating in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros?”

However, on-court, Zverev, who started on a strong note, soon won over the Australian in the first set. It further continued in the following two sets as well, leading him to win the match (6-4, 7-6, 6-4). Now, the former world No. 2 has earned his spot in the semifinals against Casper Ruud. However, the controversy gave rise to a division in the tennis world. Nevertheless, Sandgren is on his side for now and it reminds us of a different serving tragedy that happened between him and Zverev during their match in 2021.

Alexander Zverev’s funny moment on-court while playing against Sandgren

The two times that Alexander Zverev met Tennys Sandgren on-court, Zverev emerged victorious. However, the last time he encountered Sandgren at Wimbledon, a hilarious incident during Sandgren’s serving took place. Almost every time he was about to serve, the spare balls fell out, slipping through Sandgren’s pocket, which ultimately led to Zverev winning points against him. 

Later, world no. 4, admitted, “It’s an odd way to win a point, but unfortunately it happens. Maybe he needs to talk to his clothing provider a little bit and ask for some deeper pockets!”

He finished the game with a score of 7-5, 6-2, 6-3. But the lighthearted moment remained a story to be remembered in the tennis world. However, the four-time semifinalist at Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev, is focused on winning a grand slam this season. Whether he achieves that or not, the debate over the incident that unfolded in the quarter-final is far from over.