US Tennis apologizes for Nazi-era anthem at Fed Cup match

KAANAPALI, Hawaii – The United States Tennis Association has apologized after an outdated version of the German national anthem that later became associated with the Nazi regime was performed before a Fed Cup match in Hawaii.

The anthem was sung Saturday before a Fed Cup quarterfinal between American Alison Riske and Germany’s Andrea Petkovic. It contained a verse that translates to “Germany, Germany, above all, above all in the world,” which became identified with Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich.

The USTA issued a statement apologizing, saying: “In no way did we mean any disrespect. This mistake will not occur again, and the correct anthem will be performed for the remainder of this first-round tie.”

Petkovic, who was born in Bosnia, told reporters after her match that she considered walking off the court as the anthem was sung.

She wrote Sunday on Twitter: “It was a mistake for which the Americans apologized to us. And again, it’s not the worst that ever happened to me in my LIFE. But it is the worst that happened to me in my Fed Cup life.”