“Zverev is a Sore Loser”: Fans Lash Out At the World No. 4 After Arthur Fils Expresses Displeasure At Underarm Serve Incident

Alexander Zverev was recently criticized on social media for his behavior during the 2024 Hamburg Open finals. The German’s unpleasant reaction to the underarm serve of Arthur Fils has been unappreciated by fans.

During Game 11 of the final set, Arthur Fils gathered courage and stunned Zverev with an underarm serve despite facing a breakpoint. Unfortunately, the ball landed wide and was called out. Immediately after, the World No.4 was visibly annoyed at Fils’ cheeky attempt.

After Fils managed to hold his serve during the penultimate game before the tie-break, there seemed to be some altercation between the two finalists. A video taken by a spectator shows that the two argued at the time of the change-over.

Instantly, fans began condemning Sascha for his reaction to the serve. Apart from calling the French Open 2024 runner-up a “sore loser”, fans also backed Fils for his underarm serve.

The two athletes displayed sportsmanship during the trophy presentation ceremony. Dropping their feud, Zverev showered the champion with champagne in what was a wholesome incident.

Arthur Fils was subjected to boos by the German crowd

Arthur Fils instantly became a villain at the Am Rothenbaum following the underarm serve incident. The crowd erupted with loud boos. While it is understandable that the spectators would support the hometown hero Alexander Zverev, their reaction against Fils was not justified.

The Frenchman even revealed his opinion on the crowd’s behavior. Disclosing being indifferent to what the crowd thought, the new World No.20 was proud of himself for winning despite not being physically fit.

“I’m really happy about how I played. I did everything for winning this match. I got cramps, when I was serving I was cramping. I was trying underarm serves because I cannot serve. The crowd took it badly but I don’t care, I’m winning and that’s it,” Fils said.

Despite the reception that he received, Arthur Fils will always hold Hamburg in high regard because of his first-ever ATP 500 title win.