German tennis star Alexander Zverev’s appeal of assault allegations began Friday in Berlin, where prosecutors laid out the graphic details of an alleged strangling—though Zverev was absent at the hearing, still advancing Saturday at the French Open in Paris where he remains one of the favorites.
The six-foot-six Zverev, 27, is the fourth-ranked men’s singles tennis player and considered one of the favorites at the French Open.
Zverev defeated Dutch star Tallon Griekspoor in five sets in the third round of play on Thursday, following his win over David Goffin and his highly anticipated first-round win in straight sets over 14-time French Open champion Nadal.
Off the court, the 27-year-old’s career has become marked by the scandal: Zverev was accused in an October 2023 lawsuit of “physically abusing and damaging the health” of a woman during a May 2020 argument in Berlin, according to the suit filed in Germany.
That woman was later identified as his former girlfriend Brenda Patea, a model and the mother of Zverev’s daughter, and Zverev has denied the allegations.
Later in October, a German criminal court fined Zverev $488,000 (450,000 Euro) over the charges (public prosecutors in German courts can seek penalty orders when there is compelling evidence that does not necessitate a trial, The Athletic and The Guardian reported).
Zverev appealed the order, bringing the challenge to trial in Berlin court, calling it “completely bulls**t” with his lawyers slamming it as “scandalous.”
Patea has since gone public about the allegations, telling German magazine Suddeutsche Zeitung in November that Zverev pushed her against a wall and proceeded to choke her.
Zverev’s trial began on Friday, though he was not required to appear in person at court, at least at first, the BBC reported, though he could still “theoretically” be asked to attend later in the trial, a court spokesperson said.
Prosecutors on Friday claimed that after a ‘heated argument” in 2020, Zverev pushed Patea against a wall, strangling her and leaving her with throat pain for multiple days and difficulty breathing, The Guardian reported.
Zverev’s attorney Alfred Dierlamm bashed those allegations on Friday as “unfounded and contradictory.”
The trial is expected to last eight non-consecutive days that could take proceedings into mid-July, ESPN reported.
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This assault case follows previous abuse allegations against Zverev from his former girlfriend Olya Sharypova, who accused the German star of punching her in the face and covering her face with a pillow, leaving her “scared for [her]
In the wake of the allegations, Zverev faced public criticism after he was elected to an ATP advisory council in January. U.S. tennis star Sloane Stephens told reporters at the time a women’s star facing similar charges would not have been elected to the WTA player council, while Iga Swiatek, the No. 1 women’s player, told reporters “it’s not good when a player who’s facing charges like that is kind of being promoted.”
Zverev starred in an episode of Netflix’ since-canceled docuseries “Break Point” last year dedicated to his recovery from an ankle ligament tear and a surgery that sidelined the German star for months. Controversially, the episode never mentioned the allegations against Zverev. The show was canceled in March.
Nadal, regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time, has 92 singles titles to his name and holds the record as the winningest player in men’s singles competition at the French Open, though this year he entered the tournament unseeded following a string of injuries that kept him sidelined for months. He last won the French Open in 2022, defeating Zverev in the semifinals, when Zverev stumbled and injured his ankle so badly he left the court in a wheelchair and was sidelined from the sport for months.
Zverev’s next match is scheduled for Sunday, against the winner of Holger Rune and Jozef Kovalik.
Over $2.6 million. That’s how much the winner of the men’s singles competition at the French Open will take home as a grand prize (roughly 2.4 million Euros).
Zverev broke onto the international tennis scene as a 20-year-old in 2017, defeating three-time French Open winner Novak Djokovic at the 2017 Italian Open and Swiss star Roger Federer at the Rogers Cup that same year. In 2018, he was named on Forbes Europe’s 30 Under 30 in Entertainment, along with artist Dua Lipa, actress Millie Bobby Brown and actor Daniel Kaluuya. Zverev has since won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but has not yet won a grand slam singles title.
