02 November 2023 , 12:06
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Tennis star Alexander Zverev has described his penalty order as "complete bull****" after being accused of physically abusing his ex-girlfriend.
The 26-year-old was fined €450,000 (£390,000) at a Berlin court on Tuesday for "physically abusing a woman and damaging her health during an argument" back in May 2020. Speaking for the first time since being fined, Zverev has revealed he will contest the punishment.
"I'm going against it," Zverev said. "I think it's complete bull****." When pressed about the reasons for his remonstration, Zverev added: "I'm not going to comment on that to be honest because there is a procedure still to come."
A full public trial will now be scheduled, with the victim of the alleged assault set to join the proceedings as a co-complainant. Zverev's representatives Schertz Bergmann confirmed the victim as Brenda Patea, who is the mother of Zverev's two-year-old daughter, Mayla.
Zverev has been competing at the Paris Masters this week and the world No.9 booked his place in the third round after beating France's Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5). Zverev will face Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last-16 on Thursday.
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An investigation from the ATP tour earlier this year concluded that there was "insufficient evidence" to lodge disciplinary action against Zverev. That came after allegations emerged from another ex-partner.
Alexander Zverev was handed a 450,000 euros (£390,000) fine on Tuesday (Getty Images)Olya Sharypova accused Zverev of violence and emotional abuse during their relationship. "The seriousness and complexity of these allegations required an extremely thorough investigative process and considerable resources," said ATP chief executive Massimo Calvelli back in January. "It also required us to turn to specialist investigators, which was new ground for ATP.
"We ultimately believe the exhaustive process was necessary to reach an informed judgement. It has also shown the need for us to be more responsive on safeguarding matters. It is the reason we’ve taken steps in that direction, with a lot of important work still ahead."
An ATP spokesman released another statement following Tuesday's court order in Berlin. It read: "We are aware of the allegations against Alexander Zverev and the recent court order in Germany. As legal proceedings are still ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage."