Alexander Zverev got off on the right foot at the Australian Open. However, his victory was put on the back burner, because shortly before the German took the court, news reached Melbourne Park that in May he will go on trial in Germany for a complaint of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea, with whom he has a daughter. And after the 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-3 loss to compatriot Dominik Koepfer, which qualified him for the second round, the world number six was involved in a tense situation in the post-match press conference when asked about that issue.
"Do you think it's appropriate to continue to be part of the ATP Players' Council while the case is ongoing?" he was asked at the outset. And the countenance of Zverev, who had arrived in the room relaxed, changed.
"Why shouldn't it be appropriate?" he retorted with a frown.
"Well, obviously there are questions about your judgment and the court will decide," the journalist said.
"No, there aren't," Zverev replied.
"Do you have the confidence of your colleagues to continue in that role?" he was asked.
"Yes, I think so. No one said anything to me. I have no reason to think not," he said.
Zverev is seeking his first Grand Slam. Photo: David GRAY/AFP
And when he was told that there are people who think that "I shouldn't be playing, let alone occupying a leadership position", the German replied curtly: "Like who? Journalists say that. Some journalists who are more interested in telling that story and generating clicks than in the truth."
Zverev will be tried from May 31 for alleged assaults on his ex-partner and for not having accepted the 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 ruling, so the case will now go to court.
According to information released by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, the 26-year-old is accused of physically abusing Patea (not mentioned in the complaint, but by the tennis player's lawyers when referring to the other party) during an argument in Berlin in May 2020.
Zverev and Patea had a daughter in March 2021. (James D. Morgan/Getty Images)
According to court documents, Zverev pushed his then-girlfriend against the wall and tried to strangle her. The assault, which was corroborated by two of the model's friends, caused her "pain in the throat and neck, as well as difficulty swallowing."
In July last year, the German newspaper Spiegel made Patea's complaint public and said that a sanction order had been requested against the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion. And in November, the fine was announced, which the German refused to pay after pleading not guilty.
That same month, Zverev's ex-partner gave an interview to the Süddeutsche Zeitung in which she told details of her relationship with the tennis player and assured that she was slow to denounce him due to fear of lawyers and public opinion and concern for the well-being of Maya, their daughter, who was born in March 2021, when the relationship was over.
Patea said that in 2021, Zverev's lawyers presented him with a nine-page contract to ensure his daughter's stability, which provided for a payment of 100,000 euros, child support and the right to live in one of the player's properties. The conditions were that the model travel at least six times with her daughter to tournaments each season, delete all posts with the youngest from social media and "keep the strictest secrecy of all details of their previous life together."
Zverev and Sharypova, who accused him of domestic violence in 2020. Photo: Twitter
He also demanded that Patea not contact Olga Sharypova, the tennis player's former girlfriend, who in late 2020 publicly accused him of having physically, verbally and psychologically assaulted her during their relationship, something Zverev also denied doing.
Although Sharypova never made a criminal complaint, the ATP commissioned an outside group to investigate the allegation - which the German openly supported - and in January last year, concluded that the evidence found was insufficient to corroborate the allegation and said it would not impose any sanctions against the two-time ATP Finals winner (2018 and 2021). But he cautioned that he might reevaluate that decision if new evidence came to light or if any legal proceedings revealed violations of that organization's rules.
A year later, Zverev is again in the eye of the storm for a similar allegation, although this time he will have to face a German court that will determine whether he is innocent. Sascha continues to defend his innocence and, for now, keeps his head at the start of the 2024 season and the Australian Open, in which he debuted with a win. But the news of his upcoming trial made him live in a tense situation in Melbourne.