A few hours after his second-round match on Thursday at the Australian Open, Alexander Zverev conducted his mandatory press conference. The only English question posed to him was related not to his victory but a rather more pressing issue: whether he would be attending his trial in May for domestic abuse in person.
Zverev was visibly disgusted: “Wow,” he said. “That’s a question. I just played four hours, 40 minutes. That’s not the first question I really want to hear, to be honest. I’ve got no idea.”
On Monday, a day before his first-round match in Melbourne, the Tiergarten district court in Berlin announced that Zverev would undertake a public trial.
In October, Zverev was issued a penalty order and fined €450,000 for allegations of him physically abusing a woman, his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea, and “damaging her health” during an argument in Berlin in May 2020.
In Germany, a penalty order carries the option for the accused to contest the charge, with a public trial likely to follow. Zverev denies the charge and he accordingly lodged an objection.
Two weeks ago, the ATP announced Zverev as a new member of the ATP player council, which is voted for by other players. In Melbourne, those peers have maintained a wall of silence when asked whether Zverev is an appropriate representative for them on the council.
Stefanos Tsitsipas said he does not know the situation: “I’m completely unfamiliar with it. I have nothing to comment on it,” he said. Cameron Norrie said that it is “tough to comment” since he did not know details of the case.
Asked whether it would be appropriate for him to remain on the council in light of his impending trial, Zverev responded: “Why would it not be?” He also said that he does not have a “reason not to believe” that he still has the support of the players.
Unsurprisingly, some on the WTA tour have been more forthcoming. While Iga Swiatek, the world No 1, said she does not know the full history of Zverev’s cases and so not in position to judge, she also noted: “I think it’s up to the ATP what they decide. For sure it’s not good when a player who’s facing charges like that is kind of being promoted.”
Sloane Stephens, who was previously a member of the WTA player council, said: “The ATP beats their own drum. They do what they do on that side. Would that happen on the WTA Tour? Probably not.”
Daria Kasatkina, an outspoken Russian, said: “That’s what I expected, unfortunately. For sure, there is an issue. In general, if there is a criminal [process] or something, I don’t think it’s the right thing to promote a person.”
While Zverev wants his tennis to be the focus, the seriousness of his impending trial means this will continue to loom over the 26-year-old until it is resolved. While other sports, such as the NBA and NFL in the US, have constructed domestic abuse policies that would lead to the athlete being recused from the sport until legal matters are concluded, the ATP has none.
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The small attention drawn at this grand slam is likely to be a fraction of what is to come. Zverev’s trial will intersect with some of the most significant dates on the tennis calendar. The trial is scheduled to begin on 31 May and continue over eight dates: 7, 11, 18 and 21 June, and 5, 12 and 19 July.
The French Open takes place between 28 May and 11 June, and Wimbledon from 1-14 July, meaning Zverev’s trial is scheduled to intersect with both grand slam tournaments.
There will doubtless be more uncomfortable questions to come.
