Alexander Zverev made every effort on Monday to appear as if his world was perfectly fine. As if everything that concerns the native of Hamburg this week is his home game at Rothenbaum.
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But the Olympic champion is in trouble again. The Berlin public prosecutor’s office applied for a penalty order against Zverev in early July. The allegation: domestic violence. The alleged victim is his ex-partner Brenda Patea, the mother of his two-year-old daughter. According to her lawyer, she had already filed criminal charges against Zverev in October 2021. The presumption of innocence applies to Germany’s best tennis players. Zverev made a single statement on Monday: “I completely reject the allegations. My lawyers will take care of the matter.”
At the start of the Hamburg tournament, Zverev tried to smile away as best he could and was deliberately relaxed. The fact that three years ago there had been allegations of violence from another ex-partner, Olga Sharipova, does not make the situation easier for Zverev. In the summer of 2021, however, Zverev obtained a court order that the Russian was no longer allowed to make such claims. The player organization ATP acquitted Zverev after an independent investigation.
I completely reject the allegations. My lawyers will take care of the matter.
Alexander Zverev on the penalty order from the Berlin public prosecutor’s office against him
But now there is a shadow on Zverev’s appearance in his old homeland. “I feel most comfortable in Hamburg”, he emphasized and hopes “that the audience will support me loudly”. He can assume that, in Hamburg they have always liked him. He grew up here, started playing tennis at the age of three at Uhlenhorster HC and has dreamed of winning the traditional Hamburg tournament ever since. “It’s a huge childhood dream of mine,” said Zverev.
It’s his sixth attempt in Hamburg, so far Zverev was over in the semifinals at the latest. The now 26-year-old hasn’t played at Rothenbaum since 2019, the clay court tournament is somewhat unfavorably scheduled between the grass and hard court seasons. But the red ash is Zverev’s feel-good surface. At the French Open at the end of May, Zverev impressively returned to sand exactly one year after his serious ankle injury.
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And so he wants to start the next title attempt at Rothenbaum. His first opponent on Tuesday is Slovakian Alex Molcan, with whom Zverev initially had trouble in Bastad a week ago. But Zverev can only win on the pitch at the moment and has no more points to defend by the end of the year. “I am sure that we will experience a wonderful week of tennis together,” announced Zverev – and will hope most of all that this will happen.
2023-07-24 15:13:49
#shadow #Hamburg #Rothenbaum
