Alexander Zverev in French Open coin toss drama as footage leaves tennis star exposed

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted something curious before Alexander Zverev's latest French Open match.

World No 3 Alexander Zverev appeared to change his mind during the pre-match coin toss ahead of his French Open quarter-final against Alex De Minaur.

After being asked to choose between 'ball' or 'racket' by the chair umpire, Zverev initially opted for 'ball' as the young fan tossed the coin in the air. However, as the coin landed on his side of the court and rolled towards him, Zverev went to retrieve it before being asked again which side he had chosen.

"You tell me, Alex," said the umpire. To which Zverev replied: "Racket." But having already selected 'ball' prior to retrieving the coin, the umpire then asked De Minaur whether he wanted to serve or receive in the opening game.

However, Zverev quickly interjected, adding: "No, I said racket." The confused umpire then gave Zverev the choice regardless, and the German opted to receive. It remains unclear whether Zverev deliberately changed his mind during the coin toss.

The incident is unlikely to have had any bearing on the outcome of the quarter-final, with Zverev ultimately cruising past De Minaur to reach the last four in a 6-4 7-6 6-4 victory.

"I'm in another semi-final here which I'm really pleased about," said Zverev after the match. "Of course, I want to win one. I want to be in the final, that's my main focus. But I think from the level today, it was a good match for me."

Zverev will now face Casper Ruud, who has reached the last two French Open finals, in a mouth-watering clash on Friday. Ruud has a stellar record at Roland Garros but every opponent since Felipe Alves in this year's first round has taken him to at least four sets.

"He's a great player," said Zverev. "Look, he's made two finals in a row, this is his third semi-final in a row and that speaks for itself. He's one of the best players on this surface, for sure. I think I will have to play my best tennis to have a chance."

In contrast to Zverev, Ruud will have enjoyed three full days of recovery time due to Novak Djokovic pulling out of the tournament. The pair were due to meet in the quarter-finals on Wednesday before the Serb suffered a medial meniscus tear.