Arthur Fils stares Alexander Zverev cold as the German goes bad

The crowd was going to naturally be behind Alexander Zverev at the Hamburg Open. After all, Zverev was playing in front of tennis fans from his home country. He could have done almost anything and the crowd would have adored him. His opponent Arthur Fils? Not so much.

In a very testy battle that by the end felt more like a boxing match instead of tennis, Fils won his first ATP 500 event, the second title of his career. The 20-year-old has been knocking on the proverbial door to goodness for a couple of years, but he finally seems to be beginning to understand what it takes to win at a higher level.

There is no question about his skill. He can hit from either wing with pace and his serve is going to be dangerous for the next decade. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner need a third to join their party if there is to be a new Big 3, and Fils might get there. He certainly isn't yet, but he flashed brilliance in the Hamburg final against Zverev.

Alexander Zverev gives Arthur Fils a chilly reception at the Hamburg Open

What made the match memorable was the third set (which the Frenchman took in a tie-break with the German only winning a point). At one point that later Fils would say was due to him cramping when he served overhand, the Frenchman served underhanded. The crowd did not like this; Zverev seemed to hate it.

During a changeover, Fils stood in front of Zverev and the two had quick words that were not overly friendly. Could both players have handled the situation better? Sure, but both are competitors trying to win a title.

The issue was that as the two players met at the net after Fils won, Zverev offered a feeble handshake and then went immediately to the chair umpire to complain about something. Fils glared at Zverev as the Frenchman knew that Zverev was simply being a poor sport about the loss.

Fils was the better player in the final and Zverev should have understood that. Instead, he moped.

The German is a potential issue for the ATP tour. He mostly comes across as genteel off the court, though lately, he has complained more about his opponents. He did this after losing to Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon. His cool net reception of Fils after the Frenchman defeated him. Zverev has faced multiple domestic violence accusations away from the court, but paid to close the cases. Literally.

The way he has acted recently is not going to help his battered image. He is old enough to know better. Arthur Fils did not deserve Zverev's disrespect.

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