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Alexander Zverev won his 20th ATP Tour title over the weekend, downing Laslo Djere in the final of the 2023 Hamburg European Open. It was an emotional outing for the German in front of his home fans in Hamburg as it ended a 30-year wait for a local champion at the ATP 500 event.
For Zverev personally as well, the victory was a momentous occasion. It was his first title since the 2021 ATP Finals, a gap of almost two years. He had reached two other finals in the days since, losing to Carlos Alcaraz at last year's Madrid Open and to Alexander Bublik at the Open Sud de France before that.
More importantly, it was huge for the former World No. 2 to win a title after his shock injury at the 2022 French Open. Zverev twisted his ankle in the Roland Garros semifinals after a nasty fall, and had to leave the court in a wheelchair.
Having made his comeback to the tour earlier this year, Zverev had blown hot and cold until Hamburg. Many had even begun to doubt his ability to return to the winner's circle.
By all the objective, tennis-based information, the 26-year-old's success should have warmed the hearts of fans around the globe. But for most, it did not.
At least not for those who had been following the latest developments around the German.
Just before the Hamburg European Open, Zverev was accused of causing "bodily harm" by ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea, with whom he shares a child. According to reports, the Berlin public prosecutor's office is seeking a penalty order against the World No. 15, a sign that they saw sufficient proof in the case filed by Patea.
The allegations were, of course, categorically denied by Zverev, who dismissed the matter in an interview by saying that his lawyers would take care of it. Following that, no other questions on the subject came his way throughout his time in Hamburg.
For those unaware, this is not the first time Zverev has been accused of assault by a partner. Olga Sharypova, another ex-girlfriend, had accused the former US Open finalist of domestic abuse, admitting in a heartbreaking interview that she was scared for her life.
Among other things, Sharypova claimed that Zverev had punched her in the face (more than once) and covered her face with a pillow until she couldn't breathe. On one occasion, she even injected herself with the insulin that Zverev had with him being a diabetic, as she just "had to leave in some way."
As expected, the World No. 15 denied everything and said that the matter would be handled in the court by his lawyers. The accusation first came to light in 2020, thanks to an extensive piece published by Racquet Magazine. The ATP launched their own investigation into the matter soon after.
That dragged on for three years, and in the meantime, Zverev was not barred from participating at any tournament. He went about his daily life, while Sharypova had to make her social media accounts private due to the constant verbal abuse she was subjected to.
Finally, in January 2023, the ATP published their findings, saying that there was "insufficient evidence" of abuse. As a result, no disciplinary action was taken against the 26-year-old by the parent body.
“A major independent investigation into Alexander Zverev has found insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse. As a result, no disciplinary action will be taken by ATP,” the statement read.
“The investigation was carried out by The Lake Forest Group (LFG), a third-party investigator. LFG conducted extensive interviews with both Sharypova and Zverev, and 24 other individuals including family and friends, tennis players, and other parties involved with the ATP Tour,” it added.
This statement is in line with the general pattern established around the world.
According to a report from 2014, more than 90% of men accused of domestic violence do not spend a single day in jail. It wouldn't be surprising if that number has gotten worse in 2023.
How the tennis world reacted to Alexander Zverev's Hamburg title
Aexander Zverev's title at the 2023 Hamburg European Open was reported by most accounts on social media without any mention of his pending assault allegation.
Zverev's 20th career title earned a mention; breaking into the top 10 of the ATP Race to Turin did too; his first title since that shocking French Open injury earned a mention. The "bodily harm" part was not to be seen anywhere though.
It was the fans who remembered all that, pointing out wherever possible that the World No. 15 should never have been allowed to play the tournament once the accusations surfaced.
Some even called out the ATP 500 event for continuing to give Zverev PR despite the revelation. But seemingly none of it reached the ears of the organizers, and Germany's No. 1 continued to be the poster boy for the event.
That brings us to one big question:
What does tennis do with Alexander Zverev?
Does every win of the German have to come with a disclaimer that he has been accused of assault twice by two different women?
Does every line mentioning the World No. 15 come with a small asterisk that this man stands accused of causing "bodily harm" to an ex-girlfriend as we speak? Are journalists supposed to completely ignore Zverev's wins? Are tournaments obligated to keep him out of their social media campaigns and media day duties?
There is, of course, no perfect solution to this. Zverev was once the golden boy of the ATP and was hailed as the next big thing in men's tennis, before Carlos Alcaraz came into the public eye. The German is an Olympic gold medalist. Andrey Rublev considers him his "best friend."
Zverev was represented by Roger Federer's Team8 before they split in the wake of Sharypova's accusations. But even then, Federer did not publicly speak out against the former World No. 2.
"Look, Sascha is a great guy," Federer said. "I'm really happy for him when he does well. But I don't get involved in those types of decisions, to be honest. I feel like if I get asked, I get asked, but otherwise..."
Alexander Zverev is not likely to drop off the face of the tennis world anytime soon. On the tennis side of things, he has shown that he consistently belongs at the top of the game. As long as he produces results on the court, he will be in the spotlight.
What can be done, though, is ensuring that his allegations are not brushed under the carpet. For starters, the ATP has to come out with a concrete domestic violence policy, something many players - including Andy Murray and Martina Navratilova - have called for. As of now, no such policy has been created.
The second is to have a swift investigation that does not drag on for three years. The ATP is yet to announce an investigation into the second case, and they might not until the matter reaches court. Even if it does, chances are that it will have the same end result as the first.
"This needs to be properly addressed and actually investigated rather than the BS investigation by @atptour to nowhere," Navratilova said on the Zverev accusations earlier.
So what do the fans do? What can the fans do? Not watch any Alexander Zverev matches? Pray for his losses? Take delight in his injuries? Show up at tournaments where he is playing and boo him until he snaps? Is there anything fans can even do?
Those are broad philosophical questions that have no easy answer, or perhaps no answer at all. In the eyes of the law, Zverev is not guilty. Whether that law is fair or not, as evidenced by the treatment that has been met out to women throughout centuries, is another matter entirely and subject to the individual's sense of morality and ethics.
Fans can only do what they have been doing about this for a while -- remind those unaware that there exist certain allegations of assault against Zverev. They may not be proved yet, and they may never be proved, but the full facts deserve to be out in the open.
Alexander Zverev may be the Hamburg European Champion, but that does not, in any way, make him less accused of domestic assault. Two things can be true at the same time: A man plays impressive tennis on the court, and punches a woman more than once on the face off it.
