German Tennis Player Alexander Zverev Faces Penalty Order Over Allegations of Bodily Harm to Ex-Girlfriend
BERLIN — A German court has issued a penalty order against tennis player Alexander Zverev following allegations of causing bodily harm to his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea.
Zverev has strongly denied these allegations and is currently contesting the penalty order.
The court in Berlin issued the order on October 2, which includes a requirement for Zverev to pay fines totaling 450,000 euros ($475,000), according to a statement released by the courts service on Tuesday.
It is alleged that Zverev physically abused and caused harm to Patea, who is the mother of his daughter, during an argument in Berlin in May 2020, as stated in the court’s statement.
The statement further mentioned that Zverev is contesting the penalty order, and the case is likely to proceed to trial at the Tiergarten district court in Berlin after hearing additional testimonies from the involved parties.
In Germany, penalty orders are utilized as a means of resolving certain criminal cases without going to trial, provided the suspect does not contest the order.
At 26 years old, Zverev was a finalist at the U.S. Open in 2020, secured the men’s singles Olympic gold medal in 2021, and currently holds the ninth position in the rankings.
Zverev’s legal representation, Schertz Bergmann, released a statement on Tuesday asserting his rejection of the allegations. The law firm also claimed that there were procedural irregularities in the case against Zverev and presented expert medical evidence in his favor.
Zverev had previously denied the allegations during comments made at a tournament in July, following the filing of the application for the penalty order by the prosecutor’s office.
This is not the first time Zverev has faced accusations of abuse from an ex-girlfriend.
In January, an investigation conducted by the men’s tennis tour concluded that there was “insufficient evidence” to substantiate separate claims of domestic abuse made against Zverev.
The ATP had commissioned the investigation in October 2021 after Zverev’s former girlfriend, Olya Sharypova, accused him of abuse.
— With AP