"Special place in hell for these men" - Fans outraged by Yannick Hanfmann's take on Alexander Zverev's ATP Council seat amid domestic violence trial

Tennis fans were angered by Yannick Hanfmann's comments regarding Alexander Zverev's ATP Player Advisory Council (PAC) seat in light of his upcoming domestic violence trial.

Zverev has been accused of domestic violence by his former partner Brenda Patea, who is also the mother of his child. The trial for this case is scheduled to take place this May. This is not the first time the German has faced such allegations, as Olga Sharypova, another one of his ex-girlfriends, has also accused him of similar behavior in the past.

Despite these serious allegations, Zverev was chosen by his fellow players to represent the Players Advisory Council alongside other players such as Matthew Ebden, Dusan Lajovic, Mackenzie McDonald, and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela.

In a recent interview with 'CLAY' Alexander Zverev's compatriot Yannick Hanfmann was asked about the upcoming trial and whether the World No. 5 should maintain his position on the ATP Player Advisory Council. Hanfmann responded by stating that whatever decision came from Zverev's trial should be respect and that would only determine whether he was innocent or guilty.

"He [Alexander Zverev] has a trial in May. And I think like once he gets through that trial, whatever verdict may come out , I think that we have to respect that one. That’s a normal procedure… to wait if he’s guilty or not guilty," Hanfmann said.

Hanfmann also suggested that if Alexander Zverev was proven innocent, the matter should be dropped, but if he is found guilty, he should "probably" be removed from ATP's Player Advisory Council.

"I don’t know any of the subject matter. I know what he’s accused of, but I don’t know if he’s guilty or not. So let’s hopefully make them figure it out. And then if he’s innocent, we don’t have to talk about it anymore and we move on. If he’s guilty, we’ll probably have to remove him from the Council. And the ATP will have to do something," the 32-year-old said.

Hanfmann's comments did not sit well with tennis fans, who took to social media to express their anger and frustration. Several fans expressed strong opinions, with one stating that individuals like Zverev who commit domestic abuse deserve a special place in "hell."

"“Probably” there’s a special place in hell for these men," a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another fan argued that regardless of the trial's outcome, organizations should have their own policies in place to address such cases.

"Just a reminder that with domestic violence, the inability to trust judicial systems to deal with it effectively is partly why organisations need to have separate policies and why social pressure matters. Players may not be aware of this but fans and media definitely should be," the fan posted.

One fan stated that if the Alexander Zverev is found guilty, he should not only be removed from the Advisory Council but also banned from playing on the ATP Tour.

"He will need to not only be removed from the players council, he will also need to be banned from playing on the tour," a fan posted.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

"My experience with Alexander Zverev has always been friendly" - Yannick Hanfmann

Alexander Zverev at the 2024 Miami Open

In the aforementioned interview, Yannick Hanfmann also opened up about his relationship with Alexander Zverev. The 32-year-old shared that he first met the World No. 5 during the ATP Cup and stated that it was tough maintaining a strong friendship and connection with Zverev, who primarily resides in Monaco.

"I know him [Alexander Zverev] from the ATP Cup. I spent some time with him. Davis Cup actually also one time. We practiced a few times. But, yeah, it’s tough to have like a real relationship, you know, because in the end, he spends most of his life in Monaco," Hanfmann said.

Despite their limited interactions, Hanfmann expressed that Zverev has always been friendly towards him while calling the 26-year-old a "hard worker."

"My experience with him has always been friendly. He’s an incredible hard worker. Like he practices so good, the practices with him are also very intense. We have a friendly relationship. But, you know, that’s it. Because sometimes on the tour, there’s not too much time we can spend together," he added.

Alexander Zverev had recently ended his campaign at Miami Open 2024 after losing 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 to eventual runner-up Grigor Dimitrov, who previously thrashed Hanfmann 6-1, 6-0 in the third round.