Alexander Zverev is often lovingly called ‘Sascha’ by his fans and family. But recently, a name given to him by a renowned journalist left many displeased.

During a broadcast, while discussing the US Open, ESPN’s Malika Andrews mistakenly called the German player “Sausage Zverev.” Naturally, this invited a lot of online discussion and sufficient backlash.

Andrews is a well-recognized journalist who is also the host of NBA Today. In fact, she has previously worked primarily in the NBA sphere, becoming the first woman to host an NBA Draft back in 2022.

However, her endeavour in tennis is somewhat recent. Andrews started covering tennis for ESPN mainly from 2026 onwards. She’s previously covered Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and now the US Open.

However, her short journey has not been very smooth. Earlier in September, she received flak from tennis fans for saying that Elena Rybakina has the “easiest” draw in the tournament so far, as reported by The Spun.

Now her Zverev comment has garnered plenty of attention online. Some fans poked fun at the pronunciation error, while others questioned her transition from the NBA to tennis.

For Russians, Sascha is a very common diminutive given to people who are named Alexander. And since his parents are from Russia, the name made sense. However, he noted that this nickname caught on for him better since he shares his first name with his father, Alexander Zverev Sr.

This is a common name in the NBA as well, with players like Aleksandar Đorđević and Predrag Danilović all being referred to as Sascha or Sasa. Hence, Andrews’ slip-up was all the more frowned upon.

Regardless, Alexander Zverev himself is yet to comment on the situation. It wouldn’t be surprising if he never responds to it. After all, the world No. 2 is set to face Karen Khachanov in the US Open semifinals.

If he wins, Zverev will face either Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton in the final. Both the young Americans have been leading favorites this US Open season. Shelton, in particular, has been on a great run after recently defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinal.

Alexander Zverev already won his first Grand Slam at the French Open earlier in 2026. If his form persists, this might just be his second. However, his run wasn’t without a small and arguably hilarious mix-up.

Alexander Zverev and The Missing Racquet

During his quarterfinal match against Botic van de Zandschulp, Zverev seemingly lost his racquet. 

The incident occurred in the very first set. As he prepared to serve, the world No. 2 went looking for his racquet by the court side. To his surprise, it had seemingly vanished.

Zverev quickly began looking around and asking officials about it. He even had a conversation with chair umpire James Keothavong. “He’s accusing someone of nicking his racquet,” said the commentators as the event unfolded.

When asked to look through his own bag, Zverev hesitantly attended to the task. Lo and behold, the missing racquet was right there in his gear bag.

The German player finally sighed in relief. The moment then turned into a hilarious exchange from a seemingly intense mix-up. He laughed it off with Keothavong and profusely apologized.

Zverev would then go on to cruise through his quarterfinal with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory. This ensured that he would certainly make it to the semi-finals, as many predicted that he would at the US Open.

He’s also one of the leading favorites overall, considering his enormous experience in the sport. Zverev has been in the top four many times, but this doesn’t mean that he takes the opportunity for granted.

“I think the more often that you get to that stage, the more normal it becomes, which is something that you should never take for granted,” he said in the post-match press conference.

“I think it’s it’s a very special feeling when it becomes normality. I don’t take it for granted at all. I know it can change in a heartbeat in tennis.”

He also said that he understands the value of confidence and how it can go away quite quickly. More than anything else, he looks forward to his playing “two matches”. Something that implies perhaps Zverev has already won the semi-finals in his mind.