Tennis and controversies often walk side by side, with even the calmest of players sometimes losing their cool under the intense heat of competition. And this time, the spotlight has landed squarely on Alexander Zverev at the Shanghai Masters. The German star, known for his powerful game and towering presence on the court, has found himself struggling, and it seems the frustrations have boiled over. During his crucial round-of-16 match, Zverev’s frustrations erupted, leading to a heated moment that caught everyone’s attention and fans haven’t been shy about voicing their criticism of Zverev’s behavior.

The German sensation was seen baffled during his match against David Goffin. In a major setback, he lost the match in straight sets 6-4, 7-5. But beyond his performance and the dominance depicted by Goffin, what caught the attention of the fans was the angry reaction that came from Zverev and put him in hot waters. 

After losing the first set and struggling in the set with the scoreline being 5-5, Zverev was seen smashing the ball with his racquet against the wall in frustration. When he lost yet another point, his frustration boiled over and he hit the ball up in the air. However, the star player was not penalized for the incident. Highlighting the same fact, a user took to X and wrote, “Did this after *back to back* points, didn’t even get a warning, and he has the audacity to complain about the officials when he is so protected both on and off the court,” expressing their anger. But this was not an isolated response.

As soon as the post, which also had the videos of the incident, went viral, several users joined in the fray and shared similar reactions. They criticized the German No. 1 player and highlighted that his actions were far from being acceptable. 

Alexander Zverev in hot waters for his frustrated actions

Taking to X, one user wrote, “This pos is a walking threat to society seriously.” The latest actions of the star player come just a day after he engaged in a tussle with the chair umpire at the same venue. Playing against Tallon Griekspoor, the star had a fiery exchange with the umpire in the first set. The 11th game went into deuce and Zverev had a close call go against him. This frustrated the player as he fumed at the line judges and vented his frustration by proceeding to the chair umpire to complain. 

Zverev was seen standing at the net in disbelief and was involved in a lengthy conversation with the umpire. He also threw his racket on the court, in a visible show of frustration. Just a day after this, he expressed similar rage which did not sit well with the fans, and more reactions continued to follow. 

Responding to the post, another user wrote, “The way he gets away with a lot of stuff.” For the unversed, this is not the first time when Zverev has faced such a situation, and has vented his frustration time and again. Playing against Denis Shapovalov at the Australian Open 2022, Zverev was seen struggling, as he lost the first set of the match. This quickly made him furious as he was seen smashing his racquet against the ground, leaving it deformed. However, he was let go with a warning in that match. Meanwhile, more people joined in the fray to criticize Zverev’s action. 

“Zverev ready to blame Goffin cos he’s not winning slams,” another user wrote as he took a dig at the performance of the star player in Grand Slams. Zverev has inched closer to victories in Grand Slam events but has fallen short on many occasions, including the finals at the 2020 US Open and 2024 French Open. This year, he also lost in the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals of the US Open, thereby witnessing massive setbacks yet again. But the criticism was not limited to his Grand Slam performances.

One more user took to the platform and wrote, “Alexander Zverev may soon lose his No.2 position to @carlosalcaraz.” Carlos Alcaraz is on a sensational run this season. Besides his victories at the French Open and Wimbledon, he also proved his mettle on the hardcourts and witnessed a triumph at the China Open as well. Besides, he has a head-to-head tally of 5-5 and has defeated Zverev in 2 of the 3 encounters this season. 

Yet another user simply expressed their disappointment and wrote, “He wanted to do more on the 2nd clip then decided not to because he wants his PR 😭😭.” Zverev, meanwhile, would be looking to make a comeback in the upcoming tournaments of the season. But will he apologize for his actions at the Shanghai Masters? Well, only time will tell.