Australian Open Player's Dodge Questions Over Alexander Zverev's Domestic Abuse Allegations - UBITENNIS

Australian Open Player’s Dodge Questions Over Alexander Zverev’s Domestic Abuse Allegations

By Adam Addicott
4 Min Read

Peers of Alexander Zverev are reluctant to comment on the news that the German star will head to court later this year after being accused of assaulting his former partner. 

Zverev, who is seeded sixth at this year’s Australian Open, will go to trial at the Belin Criminal Court at the end of May. According to Deutsche Welle, he is accused of ‘physically abusing a woman and damaging her health during an argument.’ The woman at the centre of the allegations is Zverev’s former girlfriend and mother of his child Brenda Patea. 

Last October he was given a penalty order and fined 450,000 euros for the accusation but he is contesting the penalty which is why he is heading to court. The trial will occur during the French Open but Zverev will still be able to compete there as he doesn’t have to appear at court in person. 

It is not the first time the 26-year-old has been accused of domestic abuse. Another former partner of his, Olya Sharypova, also made a series of allegations against the tennis star that prompted a lengthy ATP investigation into the matter. That investigation found ‘insufficient evidence’ to prove the tennis player did any wrongdoing.

Given the severity of the matter, at the Australian Open, some players were quizzed about the topic but were reluctant to weigh in. 

“I haven’t had too much time to think about it, and don’t really have an opinion right now,” Casper Ruud said after beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.
“I’m not exactly sure how to react to it, so won’t give you a good answer.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has played Zverev 14 times on the Tour, gave a similar response following his doubles match. 

“I will not comment on that. I don’t know the situation. I’m completely unfamiliar with it. I have nothing to comment on it.” He said. 

Zverev isn’t just a player on the Tour, recently he was elected to be a member of the Player Advisory Council for two terms. The council meets several times a year and makes recommendations to the ATP Management and the ATP Board of Directors through the Player Board representatives. 

Grigor Dimitrov is also a member of the council. Following his first round win over Marton Fucsovics, the Bulgarian didn’t give a direct response when asked if it was appropriate for a player who is facing domestic abuse allegations to continue serving on the council. 

“I always stay away from the press in general. I don’t read much,” he said. 
“On the council, I don’t know what to say. It’s not only up to me who is in there. I think this is a matter that everyone needs to sit down together and discuss all of that.’
“I’m sure if you ask all the other guys, it’s something that if it’s needed, I guess we are all going to sit down and talk about it.”

Zverev is yet to publically comment on the date of his trial but has previously described the penalty order as ‘complete bullshit’ and denied any wrongdoing. 

Anybody that has semi-standard IQ levels knows what this is all about,” he said last year about Patea’s allegations. 

Zverev plays his first match at the Australian Open on Tuesday. 

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