Alexander Zverev domestic abuse charges: What to know،
Alexander Zverev will play in the semi-final of the Australian Open against Daniil Medvedev on Friday. But as the 26-year-old German seeks to reach his second career major final, he remains at the center of domestic violence allegations. On January 16, with the first round of the Australian Open underway, the Tiergarten District Court in Berlin announced that it had set May 31 for the start of Zverev's trial, thereby reducing the charges to foreground.
Here's what you need to know about the case:
What are the allegations against Zverev?
According to a court document from October, Zverev is accused of “physically abusing and harming the health of a woman during an argument in Berlin in May 2020.” The woman is his former partner, Brenda Patea, who is also the mother of his daughter. (ESPN does not normally name alleged victims of domestic violence, but Patea went public with her accusations.) In an interview, Patea said Zverev pushed her against a wall and choked her.
On October 2, 2023, a criminal court issued a fine of €450,000 (approximately $488,000) and a sanction order against Zverev. Under German law, such an order can be used when there is compelling evidence to support the charge and a trial is not deemed necessary. Defendants have the right to challenge the order, which then results in a public trial. Zverev challenged the order and legally maintains the presumption of innocence until his trial.
On November 1, Zverev called the penalty order “complete bullshit” when speaking to the media at the Paris Masters. “Anyone with a semi-standard IQ knows what this is about,” Zverev said without further explanation.
Have there been any previous allegations against Zverev?
Yes. Olya Sharypova, another former partner of Zverev and a former tennis player, publicly came forward on Instagram in October 2020 about allegations of abuse in various locations around the world, including in cities where ATP tournaments were held.
In a series of media interviews shortly afterward, Sharypova described several instances of violence, including Zverev allegedly punching her in the face and choking her with a pillow as she struggled to breathe. She said she feared for her life.
Zverev has denied the accusations. Sharypova did not go to police, but the ATP hired an outside firm to look into her allegations. After a 15-month investigation, which included interviews with Sharypova, Zverev and 24 others, the ATP announced on January 31, 2023 that it would not punish Zverev because there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations. The ATP has not released a full report of its findings.
“From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence and denied the baseless allegations against me,” Zverev said in a statement released later in the day. “I welcomed and fully cooperated with the ATP’s investigation and am grateful for the organization’s time and attention to this matter.”
Why are these allegations a topic of discussion right now?
The Tiergarten District Court in Berlin announced the start date of the trial on May 31 at the start of the Australian Open, putting the allegations at the forefront of the minds of journalists, fans and other players. The trial is expected to last eight non-consecutive days, with the last currently scheduled for July 19.
Additionally, Zverev was named a member of the ATP Player Advisory Council earlier this month. After Zverev's first-round victory over Dominik Koepfer, the questions asked during the English-speaking part of his press conference focused solely on his position within the Council. Because he was elected to the leadership position — which makes recommendations to the ATP on behalf of players — by his peers, he said members of the media were the only ones who viewed his role as inappropriate.
“This is what journalists say, some of whom are actually more interested in this story and clicks than in the truth,” Zverev said.
Zverev was also heavily featured in an episode of the current season of Netflix's “Break Point,” released on January 10. The allegations were not mentioned.
Does the ATP have a domestic violence policy?
No. While other leagues, like the NBA and NFL, have specific policies related to domestic violence and violence, the ATP does not.
In October 2021, while announcing that it would investigate the initial claims against Zverev, the ATP said it had commissioned and received an independent safeguarding report.
“The ATP will now evaluate the recommendations to identify immediate next steps and develop a longer-term protection strategy regarding all issues of abuse, including domestic violence,” the organization said in a statement.
In March 2023, the ATP hired Andrew Azzopardi as director of safeguarding. A specific policy has not yet been published. The ATP has a more general code of conduct, which outlines potential sanctions for “conduct contrary to the integrity of the game”, including for those accused of a crime.
“A player, or related person, charged with a violation of a criminal or civil law of any jurisdiction may be deemed, by virtue of that charge, to have engaged in conduct contrary to the integrity of the game of gaming. tennis and the ATP Member Fines Committee may provisionally suspend such player, or any related person, from further participation in ATP tournaments pending the final determination of criminal or civil proceedings,” the 2024 ATP regulations state.
When asked this week for clarification regarding Zverev and the code of conduct, the ATP released a statement to ESPN.
“We are aware of the upcoming legal trial involving Alexander Zverev and will not make any comment until this process is complete.”
Have any of his peers spoken about the accusations, the upcoming trial or their role on the ATP Player Advisory Council?
While several players were questioned in the days following the announcement of the trial date during their press conferences at the Australian Open, most said they could not comment. Alex de Minaur said he was “good at playing tennis” but “not good at making political decisions” and that he was “going to stay out of that and focus on tennis”. Stefanos Tsitsipas said he was “completely unknown” about the situation.
“I haven't had much time to think about it and I don't really have an opinion at the moment,” Casper Ruud said. “But yeah, I don't know exactly how to react, so I won't give you a good answer. Sorry.”
Grigor Dimitrov, who is also a member of the Council, initially said he did not want to comment because he was not aware of the situation, before acknowledging Zverev's recent election to the post.
“I think everyone needs to sit down together and discuss all this,” Dimitrov said. “That's my message about it. Of course, now, these things that happen, I personally didn't know about it. So I'm sure if you ask all the other guys, it's something that, if It's necessary, I guess we'll all sit down and talk about it.”
Sloane Stephens, who recently completed her term on the WTA Players Council, said WTA players would not have elected someone facing such accusations.
“I think the ATP beats its own drum,” Stephens said last week. “Yes, they do what they do on that side. Would that happen on the WTA Tour? Probably not.”
Stephens acknowledged that Zverev's presence on tour was a “difficult situation” and said she hoped the trial would “put an end to this situation.”
“There’s a lot of speculation and allegations,” Stephens said. “I think at this point, for the tour and for the fans, it's got to be over with. I think that's what's going to happen. People are going to get what they want whenever his trial happens. We'll go from there. I guess the ATP will then decide what they do with their player after that. …
“For three years, no one has done anything, so I don't think another five months of waiting for a criminal trial, I guess, is going to change much one way or the other.”
Iga Swiatek, the current highest-ranked woman on tour, said she was not “in the right position to judge” but expressed disappointment that Zverev had been elected to the Council.
“Of course, it's not good when a player who faces such accusations is somehow promoted,” Swiatek said.
What would happen if he was found guilty at trial?
This is perhaps one of the biggest unknowns at this point. Zverev will not need to be present at his trial, which will begin at the 2024 French Open and will also take place at Wimbledon in July and could last longer if necessary.
According to the BBC, he could be asked to appear in person later at the trial if necessary, and the punishment for someone convicted of domestic violence in Germany ranges from a fine to five years in prison. Zverev would likely pay the original amount of the fine he was given in October.
The ATP has not publicly revealed how Zverev would be punished if found guilty.
