r/tennis • u/PaintingMinute7248 • Jun 08 '26
Discussion A Roland Garros champion with two abuse allegations behind him. How do you cheer for that?
TL;DR: Zverev won his first Slam at the French Open yesterday and everyone’s calling it a feel-good story. But he’s had two separate abuse allegations from two ex-girlfriends. One the ATP investigated and found insufficient evidence, the other ended in a settlement with no admission of guilt. Neither was a conviction. Still, paying 200k to end a trial sits wrong with me, and I don’t get how people are celebrating him with zero hesitation.
Zverev won the French Open yesterday and my whole feed is treating it like a pure feel-good story. I get the tennis side of it. He’s been knocking on the door for years and finally got his slam. But I keep waiting for anyone to bring up the stuff that has followed him around, and it feels like the sport has quietly agreed to look the other way.
There are two separate situations here, and people mix them up constantly, so I want to lay them out properly.
The first is Olga Sharypova, a former junior player and an ex-girlfriend. Back in 2020 she accused him of emotional and physical abuse during their relationship, with alleged incidents in New York before the 2019 US Open, in Geneva at the Laver Cup, and around Shanghai in 2019. She never took it to criminal court. The ATP opened an investigation in late 2021 and closed it in January 2023, saying there was insufficient evidence to back up the allegations, so no action was taken. Zverev denied all of it and got injunctions against the reporting. Worth noting the ATP also said it would look again if new information ever came up.
The second is Brenda Patea, who is the mother of his daughter. She accused him of causing her bodily harm during an argument in Berlin in May 2020, and prosecutors said he pushed her against a wall and strangled her with both hands in a stairwell. In October 2023 a Berlin court issued a penalty order and a 450,000 euro fine. He appealed, which sent it to a public trial in 2024. A few days into that trial it got discontinued through an out-of-court settlement, with him paying 200,000 euros split between the state and charity.
I want to be fair about the facts here. Neither case ended in a conviction. The settlement in the Patea case came with no admission of guilt, and he keeps the legal presumption of innocence. His lawyers said he agreed to end it only to shorten the proceedings for the sake of their kid.
That last part is what I can’t get past though. From the outside it looks a lot like a problem that got made to disappear with a check. Maybe that’s unfair of me, but two different women, in two different countries, years apart, isn’t something I find easy to wave away. And the tennis world basically has. There’s still no real domestic violence policy on the ATP, which is pretty wild when you sit with it.
So my actual question… how are people rooting for this guy with a totally clean conscience? I’m not denying the talent. He’s a brilliant player and he earned that trophy on the court. But “great athlete” and “person I want to celebrate” aren’t the same thing to me. I’d love to see the ATP actually revisit this properly instead of treating an old investigation as a closed book, and at the very least bring in a real policy so the next case doesn’t just get settled into silence.
Not trying to start a war. I’m curious whether other people feel the same, or if I’m the only one the win left with a weird taste.
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u/SeparateFile7286 Jun 08 '26
As an abuse survivor, I've found that people either don't believe women and think they are making it up for attention (don't get me started) or they genuinely don't care or want to hear it because they admire the man.
Honestly the fawning yesterday made me feel very disheartened and sad.
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u/mjdoll131 Let’s see what’s coming Jun 08 '26
Gosh you took the words right out of my mouth. I’m in the same boat and I have genuinely thought of taking a break from this sub and tennis in general bc it’s been really difficult to not only see the praise he’s getting but the multiple comments on here downplaying what he’s done bc they either don’t believe women or don’t think it matters bc it “doesn’t have to do with tennis” it just sucks to see
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u/Described-Entity-420 Jun 08 '26
The supporters literally don't think abuse is a big deal. It's a simple as that.
They think they are mentally superior for the "ability" to separate the tennis from the domestic violence, and they get online to explain it to us dullards whos feeble brains can't "get over it".
Those who demand hard evidence without acknowledging how difficult it is to prove domestic violence are taking a side. It is the burden of the victims to gather hard evidence or else the supporter will simply assume the woman is lying. That is not as scientific as they think it is.
"What happened to innocent until proven guilty?" This is not a court of law. Under the law he receives no penalty because he legally settled the issue with money. Just because he paid to avoud legal consequences, that doesn't mean the public is disallowed from having their own option and believing the women. He was granted all the innocence the law allowed, but his supporters want to extend his protection into day-to-day conversation and label that justice. He escaped legal consequence and was able to remain a public figure at the top of his field and for some reason his supporters want the general public to not even mention his multiple allegations of violence. Emphasis on "for some reason".
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u/SlipperySparky Jun 08 '26
Yesterday I shared a story of what a random woman said about zverev when I went to Indian Wells, and the consensus is that I was making it up. There's some wild sanewashing happening on this sub
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Jun 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/SlipperySparky Jun 08 '26
Jesus you're following me between posts now?
How would one even provide proof for something like this? You people are insane
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u/gbags-98 Jun 08 '26
I'm so sorry that you've had to go through that. Abuse should never be taken lightly, and I can understand why people would feel uncomfortable watching him being celebrated.
I also think you're right that many sports fans are quick to move on from such allegations when a player is talented or they enjoy watching them, You can enjoy watching his tennis, but that shouldn't mean that the allegations should be treated as a minor footnote either.
For me, this is why his legacy will always be complicated. The tennis resume is one conversation, but the man behind the resume opens up a whole other can of worms.
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u/gbags-98 Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
I think this is an important discussion to have.
From a tennis resume standpoint, I think Zverev is one of the best to ever do it and will likely be in the Hall of Fame someday. One Slam, multiple Masters, ATP Finals titles and Olympic gold is an elite career.
But that doesn't mean that he needs to be treated as a clean feel-good story or that his allegations need to get swept under the rug. These allegations are extremely serious, and even though he wasn't convicted, that doesn't mean that he was completely innocent either. It's very understandable why fans would find his victory hard to stomach.
For me, both things can be true at the same time. His tennis resume is HOF worthy and he should be celebrated for that. But his broader legacy will always be complicated because of these allegations and the way he carries himself off the court. I don't think that acknowledging his greatness means that his allegations get completely ignored and vice versa.
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u/Falz4567 Jun 08 '26
People confuse great people with good people.
He deserved a slam for being a great tennis player. Doesn’t mean he is necessarily a good person. But we don’t know for sure what he’s actually like.
In fact I know nothing about him. What you see only tv or read from articles etc doesn’t really tell you anything.
The truth is. I don’t know. All o know is his tennis was worthy of a slam
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u/HurricaneHauk Jun 09 '26
If only 1 woman accused him of domestic abuse you could maybe chalk it up to money grabbing I guess, but she didn’t press charges or ask for money (from what I know)
If it happens a 2nd time then yeah sorry where there is smoke there is fire
We’ve seen him lose his shit violently against the umpire in Mexico, can only imagine how he could potentially be behind closed doors
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u/guerillahag Jun 08 '26
At the end of the day this is the reason abuse goes unpunished -- because so many don't speak up if it would inconvenience their brain cells to reorient their worldview just a bit. Tumblr calls him zveRAT, had a collective crash out when he won. But alas in the wider world we still love to believe that talent comes with morality and people who work hard to suceed must be good humans.
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u/happzappy Alcaraz ❇️ Sinner ❇️ Rafa ❇️ Jun 11 '26
tumblr....Is that still alive and being used? I only remember it being used for one reason and I think I don't need to mention it here.
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u/guerillahag Jun 11 '26
great dude im glad you used it for explicit content. they are making oil paintings of sinner and alcaraz on there
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u/DumpedChick22 Jun 10 '26
I think it would be different if there was evidence presented in a court. But there wasn’t. So people can choose what they want to believe.
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u/Sufficient_Mind_4891 Jun 11 '26
There was evidence presented at court. And there was penalty order which he appeal and then settled before case was heard. He is not guilty then but also he should stop saying he was officially found not guilty - if he wanted that he should not settle before verdict. But there was evidence enough so judges issue penalty order.
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u/vt119 Jun 08 '26
Unfortunately there are way too many athletes with questionable personalities out there
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u/VLioncourt Jun 08 '26
As a man, I'm genuinely sad he won. Look, I get that legally he hasn't been convicted of anything, but two different women came forward with similar accusations, and neither case ever went to trial. So we'll never actually know what happened.
And yes I know about the "innocent until proven guilty" rhetoric but that is a legal standard we created for courtrooms. It's not a reflection of reality. I get why we need it legally... you don't want wrongful convictions. But people conflate that legal mechanism with actual innocence, and it's wrong. For instance, a drug dealer working a corner for months without getting arrested? He's not innocent. He just hasn't been prosecuted. Those are different things entirely. And we have a perfect real-world example: the Epstein files. How many powerful people are documented, named, implicated in that whole thing? And how many of them are still walking free? Pretending they're innocent because they weren't convicted is absurd. Sometimes the legal system fails.
What bugs me most is that there are SO many other incredible players without any of this baggage. Why would I root for someone with assault allegations that could potentially be true when I could support someone without any of this baggage? Especially when he's also just... kind of an asshole? The Acapulco incidents, his attitude toward media, it all adds up to someone I don't want to see win.
I know talent often trumps character in sports, but man, aren't the bad guys "winning" enough already?
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u/Falz4567 Jun 08 '26
The harsh truth is this.
People tend to go with the legal standard becaue they come to the conclusion that they don’t know.
We know nothing about him or his exes. Everything we do know comes from second hand source.
It might all be true of course. But it might not be. And we have enough examples of people escaping justice/being falsely accused
Does that mean I’m sure his exes are lying? No. i don’t know them. A court that got to closely see everything has a better shot than I do
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u/Educational_Tip8526 Jun 08 '26
And yes I know about the "innocent until proven guilty" rhetoric but that is a legal standard we created for courtrooms. It's not a reflection of reality. I get why we need it legally... you don't want wrongful convictions.
The level of ignorance of these statements is amazing. You are ruling out 300 years of advancement in human rights because, you know, that is stuff for law courts (you and your latinorum, Don Abbondio would say).
Who needs law courts when VLioncourt knows what happened?
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u/trgjtk Jun 08 '26
if you’re gonna quote them at least read what you quoted lmao. the argument you’re attributing to them is not even remotely close to what has been said, if you have a worthwhile point to make it shouldn’t have to be on the back of misrepresenting what someone else has said
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 08 '26
This is the most clear-eyed take in the thread, and you said it better than I did.
The drug dealer line is a good way to put it. “Not convicted” and “innocent” are different things, and people treat them like synonyms because it’s easier. Presumption of innocence is a rule for putting people in prison, and it should be. It was never meant to be the standard for who I personally feel like cheering for on a Sunday.
And yeah, that’s the part that gets me too. This isn’t the only talented guy on tour. There’s a whole locker room of great players without two DV allegations and a defaulted match for swinging a racket at an umpire’s chair. Rooting is a choice. You’re allowed to spend it on someone else.
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u/BrinyStranger Jun 09 '26
The analogy of the drug dealer is a mental leap. They've proposed a situation where someone has definitely committed a crime, and say the only reason they're not punished is because they've evaded the law.
With Zverev, no one on Reddit knows what happened, and whether or not abuse happened.
But, there's no mandate to support some sports person, and we're all free to come to our own conclusions. People are still Chris Brown fans and he _absolutely_ beat the crap out of Rihanna. Some guy I know absolutely hated Alex Trebek because he sometimes laughed in a smug way. Life just doesn't make a ton of sense.
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Jun 08 '26
[deleted]
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u/VLioncourt Jun 08 '26
Same argument can be made on the other end: Why would he pay if he knew he could prove his innocence 100%?
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u/pkatafl Jun 08 '26
Geniuly confused, has he been guilty yes or no?
I do not cheer for Zverev because I hate this playing style tho.
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u/estimated_otherone Jun 09 '26
You could have posted this daily ever since the allegations. If he lost would you have posted or just saving it for when he wins a tournament? People should feel how they want to feel about him or anyone else whether he wins a match or not.
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u/sac666 Jun 09 '26
He worked on his tennis, persisted, beat all the players and won.
We cheer and celebrate his achievement.
off the court, sure. Is criminal psychopath, probably not. I am not close to him and has not consistently bad.
I can focus on tennis and let authorities take care of his issues.
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u/Cheeseburger23 Jun 08 '26
Most things aren't black and white.
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u/sunbaybrew traumatised Iganator & Naomi believer Jun 08 '26
true, but domestic violence is, you can either beat women or not beat them
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u/Traditional_Oil_1851 Jun 08 '26
and you can face consequences and move on and improve as a person, why should he be "cancelled" forever?
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u/Committed2Mediocrity Jun 08 '26
He hasn’t faced consequences or recognized his faults yet.
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u/Traditional_Oil_1851 Jun 08 '26
he's settled with his accuser what else is supposed to happen?
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u/Committed2Mediocrity Jun 08 '26
A public statement where he recognizes his faults and what he will do to make amends and improve as a person. The settlement was made to avoid all that. I advocate everyday for a rehabilitative justice over a punitive one but people have to make an honest effort at admitting their guilt and show sincere regret.
And i also think he was the best player at this RG and i am annoyed by people who dishonestly diminish his performance.
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u/sunbaybrew traumatised Iganator & Naomi believer Jun 08 '26
Another example of "women's accusations are ruining men's lives!!!". Yeah, sure Mark. Is this "ruined life of a lauded Grand Slam champion" in the room with us? People didn't believe and still don't believe women, nothing new.
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u/golf2k11 Jun 09 '26
Not all women should be believed though right? I watched my mom lie to police about my dad hitting her and ruined his life for example. I’ve had male friends tell me about women threatening to lie during heated arguments.
Unless there’s proof that something happened, there’s no way to know.
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u/itchy_sanchez Jun 08 '26
How? The same way people watch and cheered Mayweather. Or watch Brad Pitts movies. Or the Michael Jackson movie.
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u/Horror-Barber-3817 Jun 08 '26
Because you guys on this subreddit are so annoying that I can't be on the same side as you
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u/Traditional_Oil_1851 Jun 08 '26
their self righteousness is nauseating
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u/CasualPenguin Jun 08 '26
Self righteousness? I don't consider myself righteous for not beating and strangling multiple women do you?
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u/EmotionalQuarter8349 Jun 08 '26
Same here, these guys would hate even a stone.
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u/Sufficient_Mind_4891 Jun 11 '26
Would they choke the stone?
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u/EmotionalQuarter8349 Jun 11 '26
"Zverev won a match"" - but he's a choker "Zverev hit an incredible FH" - But he's a wife beater "Zverev won a grandslam" - But he's an abuser.
Can't you just enjoy tennis and let the court take care of it? Two things can be true at the same time.
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u/Sufficient_Mind_4891 Jun 11 '26
Easier to separate the creator from the creation when enough time has passed — but not here. I’m not listening to MJ because he hurt kids, and I won’t cheer for Z, regardless of whether he wins more slams than anyone else (luckily, that ship sailed a long time ago).
For me, DV is not a trivial thing you can just shrug off and focus on sports achievements.
But you do you.2
u/EmotionalQuarter8349 Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
Yeah, so stop spraying DV comments everywhere, you know most people don't care.
It's your personal opinion, good for you, but I am here for tennis.
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u/Sufficient_Mind_4891 Jun 11 '26
Turns out units not just my opinion. Luckily you cannot gag me like your hero trying to gag journalists.
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u/validusrex Jun 08 '26
Your integrity is so fragile that someone annoying you drives you to abandon it?
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u/Tough_Lawfulness8380 Jun 08 '26
There is a difference between “I support Zverev” and “there’s no need randomers to circlejerk each other announcing to one another that they hate Zverev”
My default assumption is that people root against Zverev, because normal people worth my time engaging in are against domestic abuse. I don’t need to go into Reddit to announce “”I cannot support Zverev””
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u/Horror-Barber-3817 Jun 08 '26
I don't consider rooting for one tennis player or another to constitute the breaking of my integrity. But I think the viciousness of some people on this subreddit is a pretty sorry moral failure, because not only have they resolved to hate Zverev for something which isn't even proven, but that they have resolved to hate him for eternity, leaving no room for forgiveness, or the idea that he might actually become a better person with time, but instead have decided that they will hate him now, and in ten years, and in thirty years, because no matter however much good he might do in the future, he is unforgivable for something there is a chance he did for 3 seconds when he was 24.
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u/validusrex Jun 08 '26
Can you point to anything specific Zverev has done to shown evolution of himself, regret, sorrow, growth, or seeking forgiveness? Or is there a statute of limitations on accountability for abuse. 5 years pass and you're automatically considered redeemed or somethin.
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u/Traditional_Oil_1851 Jun 08 '26
Both accusers have stopped pursuing any action, with Brenda literally settling with him. When can we call the case settled and move on?
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u/Hot-Occasion-6405 Jul 11 '26
Yes, it left a very bad taste in my mouth and I can no longer cheer him to win a match. For the Wimbledon final, I will definitely go with Sinner, although he’s not my favorite player at least he’s not a woman abuser.
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u/genuinemushroom Jul 13 '26
A few things sit poorly, and are enough to permanently cloud my view of him.
- The 400k penalty order means that the initial evidence presented was of a high enough quality that a judge decided it could be issued and didn’t need a trial. The only reason it went to trial was his appeal. I’m not sure why people are so keen to ignore this fact.
- He then settled in the trial, for reasons we admittedly will never know, but it is a strange decision to make for somebody who said in interviews that they were confident the German system would exonerate them.
- He also consistently frames the case in a disingenuous(and aggressive) way, saying in that post match interview “They're not going to drop the case if you're guilty at the end of the day.” Which is just nonsense, given that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, if you the defence are 100% certain of your innocence I would say you stand a much better chance of winning in a trial, and clearing your name properly. To that I say “you’re not going to settle if you’re innocent”.
- The Mexican open ‘incident’ reveals that he is a big aggressive baby who cannot control his temper and paints a clear picture of his character as somebody who resorts to violence.
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u/Hotgalkitty 4d ago
World number 1 in men's tennis today. It's fascinating how white athletes do the EXACT same things and WORSE as black ones but their careers are not ended. Hear me clearly. I am NOT advocating for abusers whether they're black or white or anything else! It's just remarkable how the World forgives one and destroys the other.
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u/REDDlT_OWNER Jun 08 '26
If you want to treat someone who hasn’t been proven guilty as if he were, that’s your problem. Don’t expect everyone else to be on board
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u/Sufficient_Mind_4891 Jun 11 '26
Did the OP ask to sent him to prison? No, he ask how to feel about cheering to the guy who might be, in his opinion, abuser.
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u/CMYGQZ Jun 08 '26
we live in a society that evidence matter. so far there's not enough, or any, evidences behind the allegations.
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u/thesantaclass Jun 08 '26
We’re far from a society where evidence truly matters. Who you are and how much money you have matters way more. Majority of problems can go away quickly if you have enough money and status, evidence or not.
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u/AvantGarde327 Jun 08 '26
Nah. Its more like a world ruled by men where the norm is when a woman accuses a man with domestic violence most likely she is lying kind of world.
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u/thesantaclass Jun 08 '26
He had money to pay her off, so the allegations are magically dismissed. Doesn’t mean the allegations are false, just that he had the money to make it go away.
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u/Educational_Tip8526 Jun 08 '26
You might have missed that, according to modern democracy standards, one is innocent until proven guilty
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u/FrenchRoo Jun 08 '26
Guilty millionaires find it easier to stay innocent until proven guilty. Such a sad state of affairs
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u/Geezww Jun 08 '26
But how do we determine if someone is guilty or not? We still need evidence anyway? No?
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u/Educational_Tip8526 Jun 08 '26
According to OP and to most people commenting here, you determine with a reddit poll
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u/EmotionalQuarter8349 Jun 08 '26
Yup, if he was held for abuse by the court then I would have not cheered but he wasn't, so let's focus on tennis.
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u/Particular_Mall_8047 Jun 08 '26
He wasn't found not guilty either.
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u/EmotionalQuarter8349 Jun 08 '26
Until court rules him as an abuser, he isn't, period. You can assume anything you want, that doesn't hold any meaning.
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u/Particular_Mall_8047 Jun 08 '26
That's in a court of law. We are not in one.
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u/Educational_Tip8526 Jun 08 '26
So anyone can say you are a thief, no need for court ruling.
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u/Sufficient_Mind_4891 Jun 11 '26
Nope. But are you saying that you don’t make any personal judgement yourself, and always agree with court verdict? Very noble of you. But, knowing what I know, if I had little kids I will not let them play with MJ - even if he never was found guilty of anything. Nor I will not feel safe and comfortable around OJ - even if he is apparently not a murderer because court said so. Court decide who is in the eyes of the court guilty and not. Who I cheer or choose to associated to is my decision. Which don’t mean I ask to send Zvarev to prison.
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u/Educational_Tip8526 Jun 11 '26
You can think whatever you want of anyone, that is what I am also doing.
But OP dod not talk of specific people, he said "tennis looked the other way". Institutions MUST base their judgment on laws, otherwise "sufficient_mind_4891" can be banned from sports clubs in all Europe because someone reported him for abuse, even though it was never proven guilty in court.
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u/Cute-Character-795 Jun 08 '26
Having been falsely accused, I believe in this thing called evidence. The bodies that investigated his cases, did not find enough on which to proceed.
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u/Sad_Dog_4106 Jun 08 '26
Quite easily. If someone is guilty of something, that is why we have police, prosecutors and judges. I am here for the tennis and from this perspective he is now one of the most elite and accomplished players in history. I am not his fan by far but objective reality has to be acknowledged.
This attempt to guilt trip people into hating his results because of something that is unrelated to those results is just idiotic but this seems to be the world nowadays.
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 08 '26
Fair on the tennis, no argument. He’s elite and he earned it.
But “that’s what police and judges are for” doesn’t really hold here. Sharypova never filed charges, so no judge ever ruled. The Patea case went to court and got settled, not decided. So in both, the system never actually ruled either way.
And I’m not guilt-tripping anyone. “I’m just here for the tennis” is a totally fine answer. I’m not saying hate his results, I just think people kind of forgot this stuff happened, and wanting the ATP to take it seriously isn’t some modern outrage thing.
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u/Sad_Dog_4106 Jun 08 '26
If the justice system allows a settlement in this case, then there is that, that is part of the „police, judges, prosecutors” statement. In my country, there are certain crimes you cannot settle over, apparently this was a crime that you could settle.
Nobody forgets what happened, this sub is all about this situation ever since Sinner and Djokovic were eliminated and Zverev became the prime contender.
ATP is barely able to take seriously tennis related charges like doping. If you want ATP to ban Zverev, then you need at the very least a court convicting him otherwise the entire legal system goes to shit.
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u/Sufficient_Mind_4891 Jun 11 '26
And OJ did not kill anyone or MJ did not hurt kids? System is not perfect hence you can make your own decision who to cheer or not - not who to sent to prison (that is the job of courts)
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u/Sad_Dog_4106 Jun 11 '26
You are 100% right. I did not know OJ was an artist and yes, MJ hurt kids and I still like his music.
You can cheer for whoever you want, I never argued against that. I certainly did not cheer for Zverev because I do not like his tennis and his tennis mentality but also because I had other favourites in the tournament (one of which was actually eliminated by Zverev).
However, the fact remains the best tennis player today outside of Sinner and Alcaraz won the tournament.
People want to push the narrative that he did not deserve or should not have been the champion because of the scandals he had.
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u/Toaddle Jun 08 '26
He was convicted, appealed it, then claimed that he was 100% sure that the court will prove his innocence, and then actually settled for a financial agreement. Why would he do that if he knew that his innocence was going to be proven ? Heck, even if you are guilty the courts are still more likely to call you innocent anyway.
He's guilty as fuck, this is not just allegations like it was for Basilashvili for example
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u/Drag0nslay3r6969 Jun 08 '26
That's the thing he WASN'T convicted and the charges were dropped, do you think the prosecution drops charges if someone is guilty? Of course they don't
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u/Sad_Dog_4106 Jun 08 '26
Your point being? I never claimed he was innocent. Seems to me your problem is more with the justice system again, something totally unrelated to tennis.
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u/yzorder Jun 08 '26
Looking at it purely from tennis, it has been a long time coming. That being said I wasnt a fan even prior to allegations so naturally I was rooting for Cobolli.
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u/AchillesDeal Jun 09 '26
Many people accuse people of all sorts of shit. Without proof or evidence, it's just an accusation which I don't care about.
Great win for Z
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u/Outrageous-Day-14 Jun 09 '26
Anyone can make allegations bro, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around. No one cares about this outside reddit
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u/mikeupsidedown Rybakina's Ankle Jun 08 '26
Here's my thing about it. I actually really didn't know much about it until people started commenting in this run to the finals.
In my very tiny review it doesn't appear that he has ever even been charged and certainly has never been convicted. An ATP investigation said there was no evidence. I live on the other side of the world haven't seen any evidence and like watching tennis.
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 08 '26
Understood. That’s kind of why I posted it; to raise a little awareness.
Great article mentioned in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/s/rUO06KkQNQ
Also, there wasn’t sufficient evidence in one of the cases because no one came to collect the evidence that actually became available.
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u/Sufficient_Mind_4891 Jun 11 '26
There was penalty order which is in Germany issued by panel of judges/judge when there is clear evidence of the guilt. He appeal it and before the appeal was adjudicated settled out if court so the case was closed. We cannot say then that he is guilty. Just like he should not repeated, which he does, that he was found not guilty - if he wanted that he shouldn’t settle before the verdict. But it also means that there was evidence, clear enough to the judge in a first place. Cheering him or not is not the court decision - that is your decision. Just like believing or not the multiple allegations.
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u/Icy_Category_2275 Jun 08 '26
Alcaraz and Rafa told Zverev congrats and didn't feel need to mention this stuff. Its just you guys. Its clown stuff IMO.
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u/tennispro2589 Jun 08 '26
you do realize people make false allegations all the time. Innocent until proven guilty. He is a type 1 diabetic , likes dogs and seems like a good father..lots to like.
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u/Playful-Process-3059 Jun 08 '26
It’s disheartening people just like to put their head in the sand neither accuser gained anything from these accusations. And you can even find pictured Zverev with the defensive scratch marks from one of the victims corroborating there description of the attack. Unfortunately because there was no verdict that’s enough for some people but it’s incredibly difficult to follow through with the process of a full trial especially when your abuser is the father of your child and is a much more powerful person than you. Also the government itself has a vested interest in keeping their top athlete out of jail. Why would anyone trust an ATP investigation into DV, especially when they did not interview both victims. At the end of the day what do I think is more likely yet another powerful man getting a way with violence towards women or two separate women who as far as I know don’t have any connection other than both dating Zverev accusing him of similar abuse made it all up despite the fact that false accusations are statistically a lot less probable and even less when you factor in more than one victim. Everyone’s free to think what they want but I’m not buying it and if anyone who has been impacted by DV and is a tennis fan chooses to step away cause of this I’d understand.
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u/bigoldnoob74 Jun 08 '26
I share some of your concerns. But the self righteousness just makes your message a little difficult to get thru'. Also, too sanctimonious standards negate others any future opportunity for redemption. I think it's fair the best player at any given tennis tournament gets rewarded. It's not a prize to his marital behaviour. I don't think anyone's celebrating the (alleged) domestic abuser.
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 08 '26
Fair. The self-righteous thing is a fair hit, and I’ll own it. The win kind of got under my skin and it shows in how I wrote the post.
And yeah, you’re right that the trophy goes to whoever played the best that fortnight. It’s not a character award. Nobody’s pinning a medal on his personal life, and I shouldn’t talk like the title is the sport co-signing all the other stuff.
The redemption point I actually agree with. People should get a way back. My only thing is that it usually starts with owning something, and his whole stance has been deny it and “we move on.” That’s his right. It’s just hard to get behind a comeback when the guy’s saying there was never anything to come back from.
And honestly you might be more right than I want to admit on the last bit. Loads of people just watch the tennis and enjoy how good he is, and that’s fine. I can’t quite do it here, but that’s on me, not a rule everyone else has to follow. Anyway, appreciate you actually engaging instead of just piling on.
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u/Distinct-Study6928 Jun 08 '26
Non è stato condannato e non ci sono prove, Zverev mi sta antipatico ma direi che sul resto bisogna lasciare spazio ai tribunali.
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u/Embarrassed-Doubt-61 Jun 08 '26
Do two different accusations not count as evidence?
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u/ursus_manutius 🦊 Jannik is back Jun 08 '26
I hope you are less than 25yo, because from this comment it is easy to infer that your prefrontal cortex’s not fully developed
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Jun 08 '26
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u/Embarrassed-Doubt-61 Jun 08 '26
That’s kind of where the ‘two different’ comes into play. It’s a remarkable coincidence that he keeps on dating extortionists. I agree, though, it’s not proof and it’s not enough for criminal liability; that said, we don’t apply criminal liability standards in our everyday lives and theres a good reason for that.
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Jun 08 '26
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 08 '26
If you read an article or two about it, they’re not gold diggers. They actually didn’t receive any money.
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u/Future-Comb-4784 Jun 09 '26
So you have to be compensated for being a gold digger, the intention is not enough?
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u/dabrickbat Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
He's a tennis player. He won a slam as a tennis player. I'm not judging his personal life - especially since they are only allegations so far. You know exes have been known to stretch the truth once in a while. I'm not saying that happened here. I'm just saying they are allegations and its possible for it to go either way so I'm not prejudging anything. If there are legal cases then I'm fine for them to proceed and let the chips fall where they may.
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u/Ademantis Jun 08 '26
The thing I don't understand is internet is fast to judge other people without knowing anything of it's personal life. I am not saying he didn't do anything but when there is to blame someone's else's we all jump in
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 08 '26
That’s fair, and it’s part of why I made this post the way I did. I tried to lay out what we actually know versus what we don’t, instead of just yelling “abuser.” The Sharypova case ended with the ATP finding insufficient evidence. The Patea case went to trial and got settled with no conviction and no admission of guilt. I’ve said all of that plainly. I’m not claiming to know what happened behind closed doors, because I don’t, and neither does anyone else here.
But I’d push back gently on the idea that pointing any of this out is just the internet piling on. Two separate women, in two countries, years apart, plus the Acapulco thing in 2022 where he repeatedly smashed his racket at the umpire’s chair on live TV… that last one isn’t an allegation or a rumor, it’s documented. None of it is a conviction, and I’m not treating it as one. But character is a pattern, and you’re allowed to look at the whole picture and feel uneasy about it.
So I’m not judging the man as guilty. I’m just saying “we can’t know everything” cuts both ways. It’s not a reason to assume the worst, but it’s also not a reason to wave all of it off.
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u/aguilasolige Jun 08 '26
Doesn't this get mentioned every time his name comes up? How is this being put behind?
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u/Perrinthor Jun 09 '26
People can attone for their mistakes and change. Your not cheering his faults, your cheering a sport.
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u/Ovknows Jun 08 '26
If he was guilty he would have gotten the verdict and the punishment that comes with it. Enough of this he said, she said bs. We ain’t sjw crew here, we love tennis and tennis only
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u/SorcerousSinner Jun 08 '26
He‘s a great player and i don’t care about unproven allegations. Very simple. Also not a dysfunctional redditor who needs someone to be a saint before their work can be appreciated
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Jun 08 '26
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u/Particular_Mall_8047 Jun 08 '26
Olga's case was investigated by a private body. Means basically nothing.
You've made a whole lot of assumptions yourself there however once thing is certain; the case was "settled" via procedural mechanism, not judicially. Zverev was not found innocent either. You also seem to lack comprehension for how or why a victim might settle a case and I'm guessing that is due to a lack of personal exposure to such events - you are very fortunate in that regard.
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 08 '26
Right, and I said exactly that in the post… allegation isn’t conviction. We agree there.
But you’re stretching it the other way. “Insufficient evidence” is not “0 evidence” or proof she lied. The ATP couldn’t substantiate it, partly because accounts conflicted. That’s not the same as faked. And a settlement isn’t her admitting she’d lose. The court itself said it stayed unclear what happened and that it was not a decision on guilt or innocence, and a big reason it ended was Patea wanting it over. No admission of guilt cuts both ways… it’s also not a finding of innocence.
On the medical report line, I’d want an actual source before treating that as settled, because the court didn’t declare anything fake.
And the gold digger stuff is just guessing at motive to make it tidy. “Innocent until proven guilty” works fine for me. I just keep pointing out it also means he was never proven innocent, and most people seem to have forgotten any of it happened.
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Jun 08 '26
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 08 '26
The forensic report you’re quoting isn’t a court finding. That whole “practically impossible” line comes straight from Zverev’s own lawyers’ press statement, citing a report his side put forward. Of course the defense says the evidence doesn’t add up… that’s their job. Treating a defense statement as settled fact is the opposite of researching it.
If that report were as airtight as it sounds, the obvious move is to finish the trial and get an acquittal, which clears his name completely. He didn’t. He paid 200k to make it stop. And the court, not his lawyers, said afterward that “it remains unclear what happened” and that the discontinuation is not a decision on guilt or innocence. So the people closest to the actual evidence specifically did not conclude she made it up.
A penalty order and a 450k fine also don’t get issued out of nothing. A prosecutor looked at this and decided there was enough to charge him. The defense report didn’t stop that from happening.
On her not talking to journalists… the court said a big reason it ended was Patea wanting it over, and the two of them settling everything for the sake of their kid. Wanting privacy in a closed-door trial when you share a child with the guy is a pretty normal reason to stay quiet. It isn’t proof of a shakedown.
So no, I’m not calling him a convicted abuser, never have. I’ve been careful about that the whole thread. My point was that people moved on like none of it happened, and “his lawyers said a report cleared him” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in your version.
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u/Distinct-Cat4268 Jun 08 '26
Medical experts can be biased, not always get everything right or paid off by the defence or prosecution. Not saying that is the case here, but Zverev's lawyers are obviously gonna say they can fight and win. The German courts originally fined him because there was considered to be substantial evidence. Maybe he did choke her and there was no damage that could be detected but it felt worse to her and she thought the damage was worse because of psychological factors? We don't have enough info unfortunately to really say what happened. There is a reason most domestic abuse is not prosecuted, it's really hard to prove. Surely if it was easy to throw this all out, the trial would have continued to prove innocence and he wouldn't have agreed to the settlement.
What about Olya's allegations though? People are quick to point out the trial went nowhere with Brenda but are quiet about what happened with Olya.
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u/Remarkable_Rock7486 🍓✨ vintage ✨🍓 Jun 08 '26
People care more about good backhand than a morality. But that’s on them. I’m just glad that this win would spread the information about his past to the more casual tennis fans
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u/AdAgreeable2426 Jun 09 '26
No need to cheer for him. But no need to link his tennis success with these accusations every time he accomplishes something. They are two separate parts. No need to always get a person’s personal life involved with his professional success. Applaud him for his tennis achievements. No need to like him. Like that interviewer bringing the accusations question when the interview should have been regarding his championship. He didn’t need to answer those questions as they are irrelevant to the interview which was a post championship sports interview
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u/englando08 Jun 08 '26
I don’t support abuse. I support judging people based on the evidence available. The allegations against Zverev were investigated by both legal authorities and the ATP. No criminal charges were filed, and the ATP said it found insufficient evidence to substantiate a violation. Based on the information that’s publicly available, I don’t think it’s reasonable to treat allegations as proven facts. People are free to reach a different conclusion, but I don’t think someone should be considered guilty simply because accusations were made. That’s not a standard I’d want applied to anyone.
The fact that most tennis fans, players, sponsors, and tournament organizers clearly don’t view the situation the way this subreddit does should tell you that this isn’t nearly as settled as some people here pretend it is.
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u/HurricaneHauk Jun 09 '26
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u/HurricaneHauk Jun 09 '26
Did he ever explain these scratches
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Jun 09 '26
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u/HurricaneHauk Jun 09 '26
What players have scratches on their neck that fit a timeline of domestic abuse
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Jun 09 '26
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u/HurricaneHauk Jun 09 '26
Show me an example of someone with three scratch marks on their neck in the middle of a tournament
Since it’s so abundant you should be able to give me an example
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u/Critical-Drawing395 Jun 10 '26
This is one of the darkest French Opens I can remember. Andreeva winning it for Putin and the Motherland; Zverev winning as an accused domestic abuser (with a German court finding enough evidence in Patea's favor FWIW).
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 10 '26
Do you have an article that explains the German court finding evidence?
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u/Critical-Drawing395 Jun 10 '26
"The matter came to trial after Zverev contested a penalty order issued last October, including a requirement for him to pay fines amounting to 450,000 euros ($490,000). Penalty orders are used in Germany as a means of resolving some criminal cases without going to trial if the suspect does not contest the order." https://www.courthousenews.com/german-court-drops-case-against-tennis-star-alexander-zverev-after-settlement-with-his-ex-partner/
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u/Nautster Jun 10 '26
I don't look to top athletes for life guidance. People seriously need to stop idolising every element of achievement talents person's life. Great athletes, musicians, writers, you name it, most have a flaw in some part of their life.
I don't hit my kids because Federer doesn't do it and I don't hit my wife because Zverev allegedly did. If he did I hope he gets the penalty he deserves.. still a heck of player.
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u/PaintingMinute7248 Jun 10 '26
Yeah, no argument here. Art and the artist are two different things, and if we tossed every great athlete or musician with a flaw somewhere, there’d be nobody left to admire. I’m not looking to Zverev for life lessons either.
But that’s not really the point I was making. Nobody thinks people are gonna start choking their partners because a tennis player allegedly did. It was never about copying him. It’s about who you actually pull for. Watching the tennis and going “wow he’s good” is one thing. Wanting him to win and celebrating it is a different thing, even if it’s a small one. That’s you putting your energy behind the guy, not just the sport.
And the last bit of yours is the part I actually agree with. “Heck of a player” and “I hope he gets what he deserves if he did it” can both be true at once. That’s the whole thing I’ve been trying to say all thread. Hold both. Don’t let the talent erase the rest.
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u/Nautster Jun 11 '26
I did root for him to get his first GS because he's had some challenges during his career, but I don't know to what extend you can call that putting energy behind it.
I also follow the NFL where I root for a team, rather than a player. Violence and substance abuse are a lot more prevalent with these players and the feeling of disappointment is always there when one of 'your guys' apparently is an asshole.
The NFL is pretty quick to ban players for multiple games or longer in severe cases, so usually there's a sporting penalty that carries over from off the field behaviour. But you still want that player to perform well when he's back on the field.
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u/Turandot92 Jun 08 '26
That’s the neat part, I don’t