Alexander Zverev slammed fans in Brazil who were in attendance during Germany’s Davis Cup tie in Rio de Janeiro this weekend.
The German complained that his family was verbally abused during the matches and that some fans heckled him every time he served.
ALSO READ: Andy Murray to work with Ivan Lendl again
“It gets towards, you know, your family members or when it gets towards somebody that you love, this is where I draw the line for respect,” the World No 3 said on Saturday.
“That line was crossed, basically, you know, every single game we play.
Sharpen your backhand with our FREE guide
“Someone can say what they want to me, they can like it or hate me, I understand that now they don’t like me very much.
“In my match and in the doubles match, they (the crowd) were rude all the time of the (my) serve. People who came to watch tennis, cheer for Brazil, and be respectful.
ALSO READ: French backflip opens Grand Slam door for Novak Djokovic
“They have my greatest respect. I enjoyed playing in an atmosphere that was high, energetic, but some crossed the line.”
The Davis Cup weekend in Brazil was Zverev’s first professional outing since he was kicked out of the Mexico Open for repeatedly hitting the umpire’s chair followed a first-round loss in doubles.
ALSO READ: ‘I would be in jail,’ Serena on Zverev outburst
Zverev played in two singles matches which he won in straight sets against Thiago Monteiro and Thiago Seyboth Wild.
Germany cruised to a 3-1 win over Brazil to seal their place in the Davis Cup finals later this year.
ALSO READ: Tennis star Sergiy Stakhovky enlists in Ukraine’s reserve army
