Alexander Zverev
A spectator was evicted from Arthur Ashe Stadium early Tuesday morning after German No. 12 seed Alexander Zverev claimed that the man had uttered “the most famous Hitler phrase there is” during his fourth round match.
Zverev, who defeated sixth seed Jannik Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, was serving in the fourth set when he stopped to inform chair umpire James Keothavong about the spectator.
“He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is in this world,” an enraged Zverev screamed at Keothavong. “This is intolerable. This is incredible.”
The chair umpire turned around instantly and asked the individual to identify himself, but he refused.
“We’re going to get him out,” said Keothavong.
Keothavong then asked fans to remain neutral and respectful to both players.
A few minutes later, security personnel walked onto the court to identify the individual, with the assistance of ESPN’s Brad Gilbert and other spectators, and eventually escorted him out of the arena amid boos.
“A disparaging remark was directed towards Zverev,” a USTA representative stated in a statement, adding that “the fan was identified and escorted from the stadium.”
Despite the incident, Zverev called the victory as “one of the best moments of my career” following his comeback from a major ankle injury suffered against Rafael Nadal at the French Open last year.
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“I guess I can say I’m back,” he said. “It’s one of the highlights of my career.” Zverev will next face defending champion and No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.