German tennis player Alexander Zverev, on trial for domestic violence after a lawsuit brought by his ex-partner

Alexander Zverev he debuted with his right foot in Opened from Australia. His victory, however, remained in the background, because shortly before the German took to the field he reached the finish line Melbourne park the news that in May he will go to trial in Germany for a complaint of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea, with whom she has a daughter. And after 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) and 6-3 against his compatriot Domenico Koepferwhich qualified him for the second round, the world number six was involved in a tense situation in the post-match press conference when he was asked about the topic.

“Do you think it appropriate to remain part of the ATP Player Council while the case is ongoing?”, they had asked him at the beginning. And the face of Zverev, who had arrived relaxed in the room, changed.

“Why wouldn’t that be appropriate?”he replied, frowning.

“Well, obviously there are questions about your judgment and the court will decide,” the reporter said.

“No, there are none,” Zverev replied.

“Do you have the trust of your colleagues to continue in that role?” they asked him.

“Yes, I think so. Nobody told me anything. I have no reason to think not,” he said.

And when they told him that there are people who think he “should not play, much less occupy a leadership position”, the German responded dryly: “Like who? Journalists say so. Some journalists are more interested in telling that story and generating clicks than the truth”.

Zverev will be tried from May 31st for alleged attacks on his ex-partner and for not accepting payment of a fine of 450 thousand euros imposed in November last year by the Criminal Court of Berlin. The tennis player denied the charges and appealed the sentence, so the case will now go to court.

According to information released by the German broadcaster Deutsche Wellethe 26-year-old player is accused of physically abusing Patea (not mentioned in the complaint, but mentioned by the tennis player’s lawyers referring to the other party) during an argument that took place in Berlin in May 2020.

According to court documents, Zverev pushed his then-girlfriend against the wall and tried to strangle her. The attack, confirmed by two friends of the model, provoked her “throat and neck pain, as well as difficulty swallowing”.

In July last year, the German newspaper Spiegel made Patea’s complaint public and assured that a sanction had been requested against the Olympic champion Tokyo 2020. And in November the fine was announced, which the German refused to pay after pleading not guilty.

In the same month, Zverev’s former partner gave an interview to the media Suddeutsche Zeitung in which She told the details of her relationship with the tennis player and assured that he was slow to report it out of fear of lawyers and public opinion and out of concern for the well-being of Maya, their daughter, born in March 2021, when the relationship had already ended.

Patea assured that in 2021, Zverev’s lawyers presented him with a nine-page contract to guarantee the stability of his daughter, who established the payment of 100,000 euros, maintenance and the right to live in one of the player’s properties. Her conditions were that the model travel at least six times with her daughter to tournaments each season, she delete all publications with the minor from social networks and “they will keep the strictest secret about all the details of their previous life together”.

He also asked that Patea not be contacted Olga Sharypovathe tennis player’s previous girlfriend, who at the end of 2020 publicly accused him of physically, verbally and psychologically attacking her during their relationship, which Zverev also denied having done.

Although Sharypova never filed a criminal complaint, the ATP commissioned an external group to investigate the complaint – which the German openly supported – and in January last year concluded that the evidence found was not sufficient to substantiate the accusation and reported that it would not impose any sanctions against the player, two-time winner of ATP Finals (2018 and 2021). But he warned that he may reevaluate that decision if new evidence comes to light or if any legal proceedings reveal violations of that organization’s rules.

A year later, Zverev is once again in the eye of the storm for a similar complaint, although this time he will have to face a German court which will determine whether he is innocent. Sasha He continues to maintain his innocence and, for now, has his head turned towards the start of the 2024 season and the Australian Open, where he debuted with a victory. Although the news of his future trial made him experience a tense situation in Melbourne.