Alexander Zverev. © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Frustrated Alexander Zverev Rages at Chair Umpire During Musetti Loss at Italian Open

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated May 14, 2025 6:37 PM ET

Alexander Zverev’s Italian Open campaign ended in frustration after a gripping quarterfinal battle against home favorite Lorenzo Musetti. A match marked not only by high-level tennis, but also by a heated exchange with the chair umpire over the quality of the balls.

Zverev, who had previously voiced his concerns about the tournament’s balls during a press conference earlier this week, saw his frustrations boil over during a tense second-set changeover.

Having lost the first set despite holding multiple set points, the German vented his anger at the chair umpire, questioning why players were being forced to compete with what he described as “too slow” and inconsistent balls.

“These balls are terrible. You can’t hit through the court with them,” Zverev was overheard saying. “It’s impossible to play tennis with this {expletive}, if this is entertaining tennis I don’t know what the {expletive} we’re doing. I’m tired of this {expletive},” he was heard saying during the changeover.

Zverev goes off on the umpire pic.twitter.com/hB3lQmXvF3
— fakemcgregor (@fakemcgregor1) May 14, 2025

The chair Umpire asked him to watch his language, or else he would be given a code violation.

The 2021 Olympic gold medalist had earlier complained that the balls were impacting the speed and rhythm of matches across the tournament, especially on the slower clay surface in Rome. On Thursday, that issue became personal, as Zverev struggled to convert opportunities in a tightly contested first set against a spirited Musetti.

Musetti, playing in front of a passionate Italian crowd, saved multiple set points and captured the opener in a tense tiebreak. Zverev’s visible irritation grew in the second set, with his outburst toward the umpire drawing attention and potentially affecting his focus during critical moments.

No place like Rome

Lorenzo Musetti reaches his 3rd consecutive Masters 1000 semi-final, defeating 2nd seed Zverev #IBI25 pic.twitter.com/WkUTkny5TQ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 14, 2025

Despite his physicality and experience on clay, Zverev was unable to turn the match around, as Musetti delivered one of the biggest wins of his career to advance to the semifinals.

The episode raises further questions about player satisfaction with equipment standards at major tournaments. Zverev is not the only player to have voiced concerns about ball quality this clay season.

For now, Musetti moves on and Zverev will look to recharge before Paris.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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