Alexander Zverev, Germany's No. 1 tennis player, will go on trial for physical abuse in May, the Berlin criminal court has confirmed to DW.
Zverev, the Olympic champion in Tokyo in 2021, is accused of "physically abusing a woman and damaging her health during an argument." The woman, named by Zverev's lawyers, is his ex-girlfriend, Brenda Patea. The 26-year-old Zverev "rejects" the allegations.
In a statement to DW, Lisa Jani, a spokesperson for the court, wrote: "The main hearing in the case will begin in May 2024. We will announce the details in due course."
In October last year, Zverev was given a penalty order by the court and fined €450,000 ($492,700). For lesser crimes in Germany, a penalty order can be issued when a judge believes the case is straightforward and doesn't warrant a trial. The accused can contest the order, maintaining the presumption of innocence, which is why Zverev will now face a public hearing.
Refuting the penalty order at the time, Zverev's lawyers, Schertz Bergmann, called the proceedings "scandalous," adding that "there can be no question of a fair trial." The law firm questioned the forensic evidence used by the court.
Schertz Bergmann has also sought to quash media reports of the case and its details. In December, German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung was forced to take down an article featuring an interview with Patea, because the article went beyond "the limits of permissible suspicious reporting," according to a statement from the law firm.
Trial could coincide with French Open
Zverev himself has occasionally spoken out against the allegations, giving reporters short shrift for asking about them. At a press conference in November, he described the penalty order as "complete bullshit."
"Anybody that has semi-standard IQ levels knows what this is all about," Zverev said.
The ATP Tour, which runs men's tennis, had previously investigated Zverev over claims he assaulted another ex-girlfriend, Olya Sharypova. The ATP closed that investigation in January last year, citing "insufficient evidence."
In the absence of any domestic abuse policy at the ATP, Zverev has been allowed to continue competing despite the latest allegations. He is currently in Melbourne for the Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam tournament, and is set to play his first-round match against a fellow German, Dominik Koepfer, on Tuesday.
It is unclear how the trial will impact his tennis schedule. The French Open, the year's second Grand Slam, starts on May 26.
Zverev's lawyers told DW they wouldn't be adding to their statement released in October.