"Serena Williams is right" - Evert backs compatriot in Zverev double standard comments

Chris Evert has called the ATP punishment of Alexander Zverev "lenient" and agreed with Serena Williams about the ‘double standard’ between men and women.

Zverev shocked the tennis world during February’s Mexican Open in Acapulco when he repeatedly smashed his racquet against umpire Alessandro Germani’s chair and verbally abused the official. The incident saw the German handed an eight-week suspended ban and fined $40,000 (£31,000) by the ATP before receiving a further suspended $25,000 (£19,000) fine following a review.

Speaking exclusively to Eurosport, 18-time Grand Slam winner Evert suggested the sanctions were far from sufficient given the nature of the offence:

“I will tell you exactly how I feel- I think it was too lenient. I think it was too lenient. I am not here to sit back and make any judgments on Zverev as far as his behaviour or him as a person. From what I know and my contact with him, he's always been very nice and very gracious. That punishment or that consequence to me is too lenient. He should have been out for months. And that's all I'm going to say about it.”

Evert was asked about Serena Williams and her comment about a clear double standard for men and women in tennis:

“I wouldn't go as far as saying she would go to jail, but I think she has a point and I think that definitely her consequences would have been far stricter than Zverev’s. Welcome to the world of men and women. I think it is a female and male issue. I agree with Serena. There would have been stricter consequences if she would have done it. I think the WTA would have put stricter consequences on any woman who would have done this."