Alexander Zverev given penalty order and fined $478K by German court over physical abuse allegations against former partner

By Matias Grez and Nadine Schmidt, CNN

(CNN) — German tennis star Alexander Zverev has been given a penalty order and fined €450,000 ($478,000) by a Berlin court after being accused of physical abuse against a woman, according to a court statement.

Zverev is accused of “physically abusing and damaging the health of a woman during an argument in Berlin in May 2020,” according to the statement.

Zverev has denied the allegations and has lodged an objection against the penalty order, meaning the case will now go to a Berlin district court and “the presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction,” the statement read.

According to Zverev’s lawyers, the woman is his former partner. The court statement doesn’t name the woman, who is widely reported to be the mother of his child.

In Germany, a judge can hand out a penalty order in cases where the public prosecutor’s office does not believe a trial is necessary. However, a defendant can contest it, as Zverev has, which will likely lead to a public trial.

The alleged injured party has joined the proceedings as a complainant, according to the court statement. CNN has reached out to her management team for comment.

”Mr. Zverev rejects the accusation made against him,” a statement from his lawyer reads.

“The allegations made by the complainant, on which the penalty order alone is based, have already been refuted by a forensic medical report by the recognized Berlin forensic physician Prof. Dr. Tsokos, Charite Berlin.”

The statement from Zverev’s lawyer quotes that report, saying “there are considerable inconsistencies that are not comprehensible from a forensic medical point of view.

“Or in other words: it is practically impossible that the facts of the case occurred as alleged by the complainant.”

Zverev addressed the allegations in July after prosecutors applied for the penalty order, saying: “From my side, I completely reject the allegations.”

In January, the ATP Tour announced that there would be no disciplinary action taken against Zverev after an investigation found insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse in a separate case.

In October 2021, the ATP, the governing body for men’s professional tennis, said it was launching an investigation after domestic abuse allegations were made by another of Zverev’s former girlfriend, Olya Sharypova.

“Based on a lack of reliable evidence and eyewitness reports, in addition to conflicting statements by Sharypova, Zverev and other interviewees, the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse,” an ATP statement read.

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