A fan was kicked out of the US Open after German tennis star Alexander Zverev complained they were "singing the anthem of Hitler".
The incident occurred during Zverev's fourth round match against Jannik Sinner, with the German pausing the game and approaching umpire James Keothavong when he was due to serve. Zverev pointed towards a fan in the stands and told Keothavong: "He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is in this world. It's not acceptable."
Keothavong then asked the culprit to identify himself but nobody owned up, with the umpire then addressing the entire crowd and urging them to be respectful towards the players. Shortly afterwards, the fan in question was identified by other fans and security removed him from Arthur Ashe Stadium during the changeover.
"A disparaging remark was directed toward Alexander Zverev," U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said. "The fan was identified and escorted from the stadium."
Zverev ultimately beat Sinner 6-4 3-6 6-2 4-6 6-4 to set up a quarter-final clash against Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. Speaking after the game, Zverev explained: "He started singing the anthem of Hitler that was back in the day.
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"It was 'Deutschland über alles' and it was a bit too much. I think he was getting involved in the match for a long time, though. I don't mind it, I love when fans are loud, I love when fans are emotional.
"But I think me being German and not really proud of that history, it's not really a great thing to do and I think him sitting in one of the front rows, I think a lot of people heard it. So if I just don't react, I think it's bad from my side. It's his loss, to be honest, to not witness the final two sets of that match."
Reflecting on his gruelling win over Sinner, which lasted four hours and 41 minutes, Zverev added: "I guess I can say I'm back. This is what I live for. I would have loved to play a little bit shorter but last year when I wasn't able to play, this is what I missed.
The incident occurred during Zverev's fourth round US Open match against Jannik Sinner (Al Bello/Getty Images)"Playing past 1:30 a.m. in front of a packed crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium. There's nothing better. I was extremely tired. He [Sinner] was fitter than me even though he was cramping, he was in better shape.
"In the fifth set I somehow found it again. Without the energy, without the crowd this wouldn't have been possible. This is one of the best moments of my career after my comeback, after everything.
"I'm looking forward to what's next. I'll give it my absolute best like I always do. I'll fight until the last moment. Of course, I have to recover after this physical match but I'll be ready."
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