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Christopher Eubanks denying Alexander Zverev a hug after their Miami Open third-round clash has elicited mixed reactions from tennis fans.
Following his hard-fought win over Dan Evans, Eubanks squared off against Zverev in the third round on Monday, March 25. The American earned a crucial break to move ahead 5-3 but Zverev broke right back to edge out a tight first set.
The second set was a more straightforward affair, with Zverev breaking early to lead 3-0. He eventually closed out the encounter, 7-6(4), 6-3, to advance to the fourth round.
After the match, Eubanks approached the net with a wide grin and shook hands with Zverev. However, he seemingly denied the German a hug.
Zverev has been under constant criticism in recent times following allegations of domestic abuse. This might have prompted some fans to praise Eubanks for his actions. However, others deemed it unsportsmanlike.
One fan labeled Eubanks' gesture as "king behavior."
"King behavior," the fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another fan stated that Christopher Eubanks was "iconic" for denying Zverev the hug.
"And he is so iconic for that!! Well done Chris," the fan's tweet read.
Meanwhile, a third user blamed Eubanks for not taking the loss in the right spirit.
"The players from the US are sour losers really. Too much attitude for too little deserving performance," the fan wrote.
Another fan opined that Eubanks' gesture had nothing to do with Zverev's allegations and that it was just a retort to the loss.
"Because he lost you snowflakes. Nothing to do with the "allegations"," read the tweet.
Here are a few more mixed reactions from tennis fans:
Alexander Zverev on beating Christopher Eubanks: "It was a difficult match; I was just hanging on"
Alexander Zverev admitted that his Miami Open third-round clash against Christopher Eubanks was "difficult." The German said he was clinging on initially with his opponent controlling the match in the first set.
"It was a difficult match. I thought he was in control of it throughout the first set. I was just hanging on and sometimes that is just what you need to do," Zverev said as per Eurosport.
Zverev showered praise on Eubanks for his effective play from the baseline.
"I was surprised by how well he was playing from the baseline, not giving me many unforced errors," he added.
Alexander Zverev will face Karen Khachanov in the fourth round on Tuesday, March 26. This will be their sixth meeting on the tour, with Zverev leading 3-2 in the head-to-head. Khachanov comes into this match on the back of a 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(5) win over Francisco Cerundolo in the third round.
