As German tennis star Alexander Zverev prepares to take on 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal in the tournament’s first round on Monday, he also faces assault allegations culminating in a court battle this week, where he is appealing.
Alexander Zverev must face all-time great Rafael Nadal in the first round of the French Open.
The six-foot-six Zverev, 27, is the fourth-ranked men’s singles tennis player and considered one of the favorites in the tournament—and faces Nadal, 37, who has struggled to return from injuries and ranked only No. 276.
Off the court, the 27-year-old’s career has become marked by 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 in Berlin is slated to start on May 31, putting it in the middle of the French Open, though he will not be 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.
The trial is expected to last eight non-consecutive days that could take proceedings into mid-July, ESPN reported.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
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.
Zverev faces Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion, in the first round of play at Roland Garros at 6 a.m. EST on Monday. Nadal, the 37-year old Spaniard, who has 92 singles titles to his name and holds the record as the winningest player in men’s singles competition at the French Open, entered the tournament unseeded following a string of injuries that kept him sidelined for months. He last won in 2022, defeating in the semifinals Zverev, who stumbled and injured his ankle so badly he left the court in a wheelchair and was sidelined from the sport for months.
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.