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Agitated tennis fans took to social media to express their rage against Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev after reports of a penalty order being requested against him for bodily harming the mother of his child surfaced.
As per media house RTL, Brenda Patea, his daughter's mother, has accused Zverev of domestic violence and the public prosecutor's office in Berlin has petitioned for a penalty order to be issued against the German tennis star. If the court accepts the application, the accused will have to appear in court for a trial.
After the news reached the general public, tennis fans voiced their anger on Twitter. One user wondered how the accused was still playing at the same venues as WTA players.
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"How this man can play tennis and is in the same venues as WTA players is beyond me," she wrote.
The 26-year-old had faced similar allegations in 2020. His former girlfriend Olga Sharypova reported that Zverev had abused her emotionally and physically during ATP Tours in Shanghai, Monaco, Geneva, and New York. The ATP, however, took no disciplinary action against him due to the "non-availability of substantial evidence".
Another fan went as far as to demand jail time for the German, saying:
"Oh my god this man is a serial assaulter. Put him in jail omg."
Another fan mocked the ATP for their inaction in the past, saying:
"ATP will start "investigating" this in 13 months and release the inconclusive report under help>tournaments>FAQ>players>tv rights>>schedule without any announcement in 3-4 years," the fan tweeted.
One tennis buff, meanwhile, called on other players to speak out against the World No. 19.
"It's time for ATP/WTA players to speak out against Zverev. Use that same energy seemingly everyone has for Toth right now towards a much more serious issue," the fan said.
"Not this rat getting abuse allegation again and soon another bullshit fake statement to pretend he was the victim... WE ARE TIRED. Just ban him from tennis and from Earth," another account wrote.
Here are a few more reactions:
According to reports, the penalty amount is close to half a million euros. If the court decides to accept Patea's application, the 26-year-old will have two weeks to file an objection.
Alexander Zverev crashed out of Wimbledon in R3
The German, meanwhile, failed to make a mark at the recently concluded Wimbledon. The 19th seed lost 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-7(5) to Italy's Matteo Berrettini in the third round on July 8.
In a match interrupted by bad weather and poor light, the 19th seed fought hard in the second and third sets but failed to better his outings at the Championships in 2017 and 2021, when the 26-year-old reached the fourth round.
