U.S. Open Attendee Ejected After Shouting Nazi Phrases At German Tennis Star Alex Zverev

Security at the U.S. Open escorted a fan out after he made a pro-Nazi remark and gesture towards player Alex Zverev.

The incident took place during Zverev’s fourth set against Italian Jannik Sinner. Zverev then went to the umpire to have the fan removed.

“He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is in this world. It’s not acceptable,” Zverev told the umpire. He later remarked, “He started singing the anthem of Hitler that was back in the day. It was Deutschland über alles and it was a bit too much.”

Agreeing with Zverev’s request, the umpire then demanded whoever said the phrase to reveal themselves, and said that they were going to “get him out.” Security then went to take the fan out of the open. The umpire then requested that the crowd remain respectful as cheers erupted when the fan was kicked out.

The line Deutschland über alles was initially written in 1841 by August Heinrich Hoffmann in the song “Deutschlandlied.” and made the German national anthem in 1922. It was recontextualized in the 1930s and 1940s with its association with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party, emphasizing the Deutschland über alles lines. Since the end of World War 2, only the third stanza has been used for the national anthem.

Zverev says that being German makes him “…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.”

Zverev ultimately won against Sinner and heads into the fourth-round match. He will hope to reach the U.S. Open Men’s Final for the first time since 2020.