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Former junior player Olga Sharypova said in a social media post last month that the German world number seven had tried to “strangle” her during last year’s US Open.
FILE: Alexander Zverev from Germany. Image: @ AustralianOpen / Twitter
LONDON – Alexander Zverev opened up about the domestic assault allegations he faces on Friday, apologizing for the negative attention he has given tennis and insisting that the painting by his ex-girlfriend “is not who I am.”
Former junior player Olga Sharypova said in a social media post last month that the German world number seven had tried to “strangle” her during last year’s US Open.
In a later press interview with Racket magazine, the Russian alleged that the abuse she suffered led her to attempt suicide.
Zverev, who also recently discovered that she is expecting a baby with another former partner, posted a short statement on Instagram to deny Sharypova’s claims, but declined to provide further answers to questions on the subject.
He changed that stance at his press conference before the ATP Finals in London, saying: “A lot of people have asked me why I kept my mouth shut, why didn’t I say anything.
“While I am very sorry that these accusations are made, I have to stick to my first opinion that they were false and continue to deny them.”
The 23-year-old German, who won the ATP eight-man Finals in 2018, again claimed the allegations were unfounded and false.
“We had our ups and downs, but the way our relationship is described to the public is not what it was like,” he said. “That’s not who I am, that’s not how my parents raised me. It’s not who I am as a person.
“I am saddened by the impact such false accusations can have, on sport, on the outside word, on me too. I really apologize that the focus has moved away from sport. We all love to play tennis. here to do “.
Zverev will play his first match at the O2 Arena on Monday against Daniil Medvedev, and the game will begin on Sunday behind closed doors.
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