Alexander Zverev in hot waters after skipping scheduled press talk following upset defeat in Acapulco

Germany’s Alexander Zverev finds himself in hot water after abruptly skipping a scheduled press conference following his shocking second-round exit at the Mexican Open in Acapulco. The world No. 2 suffered a straight-sets defeat to American teenager Learner Tien, losing 6-3, 6-4.

According to tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, Zverev is now facing additional trouble for evading post-match media duties. Rothenberg reported that the German star left the stadium immediately after his loss, despite being scheduled for a win-or-lose press conference.

“Zverev should be getting a fine also today to add to his woes,” Rothenberg wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “He was announced pre-match for a press conference regardless of the result, but instead, he walked straight out of the ATP 500 Acapulco stadium and into a car, disappearing into the night while Tien was still on court.”

The early exit is a significant setback for Zverev, who had hoped for a deeper run in Acapulco to close the rankings gap on world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Sinner is currently sidelined for three months following an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after two failed tests in March last year.

Zverev started the season on a high note, finishing as the runner-up at the Australian Open after losing to Sinner 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. However, his form has dipped since. He was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Argentina Open by Francisco Cerundolo (3-6, 6-3, 6-2) and suffered another quarterfinal defeat at the Rio Open, falling to Argentina’s Francisco Comesana 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Now, with an unexpected loss in Acapulco and the looming prospect of a fine, Zverev faces mounting pressure as he looks to regain momentum in the season ahead.