Germany’s Alexander Zverev has been issued with a penalty order that he can appeal against concerning an accusation made by a former partner of his.
Media organization RTL has confirmed that Berlin’s public prosecutor’s office has applied for a penalty order to be issued to the tennis star who is accused of committing ‘bodily harm’ against model Brenda Patea. Zverev’s former girlfriend who is also the mother of his child. Patea has refused to comment any further on the matter. Therefore, the circumstances surrounding what allegedly happened or what the world No.19 is said to have done is not publically known.
A penalty order is an order made by the court requiring a person to pay a mandatory penalty for a breach of the law. It is usually applied when the person issuing it, in Zverev’s case this would be the Berlin Prosecutor’s office, deemed there to be sufficient suspicion. However, this is not a verdict but a proposal that could prevent the tennis star from attending a public hearing. He is within his right to contest the order.
Newspaper Bild reports that Zverev’s fine would be 480,000 euros if he accepts the order. These fines are based on the income of a person and the severity of their crime. Lawyer Arndt Kempgens told RTL that he believes the prosecutor’s office ‘is already assuming a serious crime and also the good income and financial circumstances’ of Zverev.
Zverev’s lawyer has released a statement saying that their client will not be commenting on the matter.
This is not the first time the 29-year-old has faced allegations of domestic violence. Zverev has previously been accused of abusing another former partner of his, Olya Sharypova. The ATP subsequently launched a lengthy investigation centered around an incident that took place at the 2019 Shanghai Masters. Investigators also looked at purported misconduct at other locations such as Geneva (Laver Cup) and New York (where Sharypova said she tried to commit suicide by injecting herself with insulin). They concluded that there was ‘insufficient evidence to substantiate allegations of abuse.” Zverev has always denied any wrongdoing.
Zverev is currently playing at the Swedish Open where he is the fifth seed.
