German tennis star Alexander Zverev faces legal consequences in alleged assault case
German tennis sensation Alexander Zverev finds himself in a legal battle as a Berlin court imposes a substantial fine in connection with an alleged assault that occurred over three years ago.
FollowGerman tennis star Alexander Zverev has been slapped with a 450,000 euro fine (equivalent to $475,300) by a Berlin court for the alleged assault of a woman during an argument that took place in the German capital more than three years ago. A judicial spokeswoman confirmed this development on Tuesday. Zverev, the former world number two, is contesting the fine and has officially "lodged an objection," as reported by a spokesperson for the Berlin courts. It's important to note that Zverev is considered innocent until a final ruling is reached.
Alexander Zverev has been issued a penalty order for bodily harm against his former girlfriend and fines totalling €450,000 by a German court.
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) October 31, 2023
Zverev has objected to the penalty order, meaning it will likely go to public trial. https://t.co/9kKI8o0cdv
The Tiergarten district court is set to revisit the case and "hear from those involved in the proceedings once more," with the likelihood of scheduling a hearing in the near future. The alleged victim has joined the proceedings as a co-complainant, according to the spokeswoman.
In a statement, Zverev's legal team vehemently denied the accusations, identifying the woman as Brenda Patea, the tennis player's former girlfriend. They pointed out that the allegations made by Patea, which serve as the basis for the penalty order, have already been contradicted by a forensic medical report.
It's worth noting that in January, the ATP, the organization overseeing the men's tennis tour, closed an investigation into allegations of domestic abuse involving a female tennis player, citing insufficient evidence. The investigation had been initiated in October 2021 following allegations made by Zverev's former girlfriend, Olya Sharypova.
As of now, Zverev is actively participating in the ATP Paris Masters and secured a victory in his first-round match against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics on Tuesday.
