Alexande Zverev is a different tennis player. Many things have happened since I reached what was the first and only ‘Grand Slam’ final in 2020. It was at the US Open and he lost in five sets to the Austrian Dominic Thiem.
“I remember. I was neither prepared nor mature enough. Now I think I am, I’m already 27 years old. I had a two set lead and a break up in the third and lost“he reflects.
Since then, the career of Sascha, a tennis player identified as one of those chosen to replace the ‘Big Three, has been marked by the double accusation of gender violence by two of his ex-partners: Olga Sharipova and Brena Pateawho is also the mother of his only son.
The press is more interested in clicks than the truth
On May 31, while Zverev was celebrating his passage to the third round of Roland Garros, In the Berlin court, a trial began against the tennis player for mistreatment. Seven days later, hours before jumping to play the semifinal with Casper Ruud, the case was archived.
“It has closed and I turn the page. I’m innocent, otherwise it won’t be filed. I don’t want anyone to ask me about this again. It’s been four years“said Zverev, questioned about it a few minutes after qualifying for his first Roland Garros final. He will have to pay, of course, a fine of 200,000 euros as part of the agreement to finish the process. Initially, a German court sentenced him to pay 450,000 euros in October..
“I firmly believe in German justice. The press is more interested in clicks than the truth“said Sascha, who was even investigated by the ATP, the highest body that governs the men’s circuit. Nothing was found against him so he could not continue playing tournaments.
Even Amelie Mauresmodirector of the French Internationals, clarified before the start of the tournament that the tennis player was entitled to participate as there was no signed ruling on the complaint of gender violence.
Zverev returns to a grand final four years later with the inevitable memory of how Philippe Chatrier left the center two years ago. He broke his ankle at the beginning of the tie break of the second set of the semifinal with Rafael Nadal: “I came out in a wheelchair and this Sunday I fight for the title.”
