"So glad Djokovic beat this fraud" - Fans react to Kevin Anderson reportedly donating money to journalist amid legal battle with Alexander Zverev

Kevin Anderson has reportedly stepped in with a $1,000 contribution to Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg's crowdfunding efforts for his legal battle with Alexander Zverev. And fans did not seem happy with Anderson's involvement. The current World No. 4 filed a defamation lawsuit against Rothenberg over two controversial stories published by prominent media outlets.

Rothenberg's stories featured the account of Olga Sharypova, Zverev's ex-girlfriend, who told the journalist that the German had abused him both emotionally and physically on multiple occasions. The stories sent shockwaves across the tennis world and tainted Zverev's image.

However, recently, Zverev took a firm stand and filed defamation lawsuits against not only Rothenberg but also Racquet and Slate, the two media outlets that had published the stories. They removed the stories from their websites following a preliminary injunction order issued by the German judiciary.

Kevin Anderson, currently inactive on the ATP Tour, and his wife, Kelsey O'Neal, have allegedly contributed $1,000 to the journalist's cause, and this has sparked backlash from fans on X.

Several fans called out Anderson for helping Rothenberg.

"So glad Novak beat this fraud in the final," a fan wrote, referring to Anderson's loss to Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2018 Wimbledon Championship.

"This is shocking because Beg Rothenberg is a real snake and nasty piece of work," commented another fan.

"I don't care about Zverev. But defending a vile journalist like Ben, that money could have been used for better things in his own poverty plagued South Africa," another fan chimed in.

Some others took swipes at Anderson over the development, with some even alleging that the South African leaked sensitive information discussed during ATP player council meetings.

"Why am I not surprised. Anderson is like a wet dish cloth," wrote one fan.

"Hearing Kevin was the leaker in the player’s council. Loser on and off the court," another fan commented.

However, there were a few who came out in Anderson's support.

"Well done to big Kev and his wife," a fan wrote.

"Good man," added another.

Meanwhile, Zverev is going strong in his 2024 US Open campaign.

Alexander Zverev to face Brandon Nakashima in US Open 2024 4R

Alexander Zverev (Source: Getty)

Zverev is one of the favorites for the 2024 US Open title. His title credentials at Flushing Meadows have received a boost with the shocking early exits of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

The German has so far come out on top against Maximilian Marterer, Alexandre Muller and Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first three rounds. Up next, Zverev is set for a fourth-round clash against the in-form Brandon Nakashima, who has eliminated No. 15 and No. 18 seeds Holger Rune and Lorenzo Musetti, respectively.

Zverev and Nakashima have faced each other on two previous occasions on the ATP Tour, with the German coming out on top both times. If the World No. 4 defeats Nakashima again, he will go on to face either Casper Ruud or Taylor Fritz.