Alexander Zverev has been booted out of a tournament in Acapulco and faces a hefty punishment after repeatedly smashing an umpire's chair with his racket following a doubles match.

Hours after Alexander Zverev was booted out of the Mexican Open for shocking umpire abuse following a doubles match, World No.1 Novak Djokovic and Britain's Andy Murray have condemned the German's action. While the Serbian deemed the tour's decision to disqualify the 24-year-old as 'correct', Murray described Zverev's racquet-smashing spree as 'dangerous' and 'reckless.'

Tennis great Djokovic, who is currently playing his first tournament since his deportation from Australia, continued his quest to keep his World No.1 ranking with a comprehensive 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) win over Karen Khachanov in the Dubai Championships to move into his 10th consecutive quarter-final on Wednesday.

Djokovic was asked what he thought of Zverev being kicked out of the Mexican Open after his victory. While the Serb condemned the German's behaviour, he also offered support, stating that he 'understands' how professional players react similarly in the heat of the contest.

Zverev, who partnered with Brazil's Marcelo Melo, was defeated by the British-Finn duo of Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 6-2 4-6 (10-6). The four players shook hands at the net as soon as the match ended before Zverev turned to the umpire and aggressively hit the chair with his racket thrice, almost catching the official's leg with one swing. As the chair umpire looked to climb down, the 24-year-old walked back over and took another swing. Zverev reportedly yelled expletives towards the official, too, upset by a line call earlier in the match.

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The ATP then withdrew the German due to "unsportsmanlike conduct" ahead of a second-round singles meeting with Peter Gojowczyk. The Olympic champion apologised for his actions, explaining his regret at letting his fans, the tournament, and the sport he loves down. Djokovic believes Zverev will learn from his mistake.

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"I saw the video, I saw Sascha's [Zverev] statement," Djokovic told reporters at a news conference after cruising into the quarter-finals of the Dubai Championships.

"I think he said it all in that statement. He realises that it was a mistake. I understand the frustration. Sometimes on the court, you feel in the heat of the battle lots of different emotions, different things happening in your head," the Serbian added.

"I've made mistakes in the past where I've had tantrums on the court, so I understand what the player is going through. Of course, I do not justify his actions, but that statement has handled it in the right way. He said he made a mistake, and his actions were not appropriate. I think that the disqualification decision was not too harsh. I think it was correct under the circumstances," Djokovic, who was kicked out of the US Open in 2020 for whacking a dead ball that hit a linesperson, remarked.

"Of course, it can be harsh for a player to get disqualified from a tournament. I know a year-and-a-half ago, I had something - I can't say similar - but I was disqualified from a grand slam after unintentionally hitting the line umpire. I realised that it was a mistake and I had to take it. Hopefully, he can reflect on that and not let something like that happen again in his life. I'm sure that he's going to approach it maturely," the 20-time Grand Slam winner concluded.

Djokovic must at least reach the semi-finals in Dubai Championships to stand a chance of stopping Russia's Daniil Medvedev from replacing him at the summit of the ATP rankings. This week, Medvedev is competing in Acapulco and is guaranteed to end Djokovic's World No.1 reign if he clinches the title.

Meanwhile, former world No.1 Andy Murray was also asked about the Zverev incident after his match in Dubai. The 34-year-old agreed with Djokovic that athletes could lose their cool during competition, but he was much stronger in condemning the German's behaviour.

"Look, it was not good. It was dangerous, reckless," Murray said.

"I obviously understand lots of players, athletes across lots of sports can get very frustrated. Certainly me, myself, I've not always acted in the way I would want on the tennis court. I'm certainly not claiming to be an angel. I'm not perfect myself," the Brit added.

"However, when you're ripping your tennis racquet right next to the umpire multiple times, yeah, you can't be doing that. I know obviously one of the British guys who was playing (in that doubles match, as well, a bit dangerous. It's graphite flying off the racquet, as well. Yeah, it was not good," Murray concluded.