ATP Finals 2020 - Alexander Zverev issues further domestic abuse denial following allegations
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Updated 13/11/2020 at 21:57 GMT
Ahead of the 2020 ATP Finals in London, Alexander Zverev has repeated his denial of allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-girlfriend Olya Sharypova. She had alleged in an interview with Racquet Magazine that the German had punched her and added that she had attempted suicide after an incident at last year's Laver Cup.
Finalist Alexander Zverev of Germany during the trophy ceremony of the Men's Final on day 7 of the Rolex Paris Masters
Image credit: Getty Images
Alexander Zverev has issued a further denial after being accused of domestic abuse by his ex-girlfriend.
Olya Sharypova has said that she attempted suicide after an incident during the Laver Cup in Geneva last year.
Sharypova has previously alleged that the US Open finalist tried to choke her with a pillow before the 2019 US Open and hit her head against the wall.
Zverev issued a statement on social media soon after calling the allegations “unfounded” and "simply not true" and repeated his denial ahead of the ATP Finals, which kick off in London on Sunday.
"Many people have asked me why I kept my mouth shut, why I didn't say anything," he said.
"While I very much regret that those accusations are made, I have to stick to my initial thing of them being untrue and continue to deny them.
"These accusations are just unfounded and untrue. We had our ups and downs but the way our relationship is described in the public is not how it was. That's not who I am, that's not how I was raised by my parents.
"It makes me sad the impact that such false accusations can have: on the sport, on the outside world, on myself as well. I truly apologise that the focus has shifted away from the sport."
While not naming Zverev specifically, the ATP released a statement on Friday condemning domestic abuse, saying it expects the same standards to be upheld by its member players.
"The ATP fully condemns any form of violence or abuse. We expect all members of the Tour to do the same, and to refrain from any conduct that is violent, abusive, or puts others at risk.
"In circumstances where allegations of violence or abuse are made against any member of the Tour, legal authorities investigate and due process is applied, we then review the outcome and decide the appropriate course of action.
"Otherwise, we are unable to comment on specific allegations."
Sharypova said in an extensive interview with Racquet Magazine that she attempted to commit suicide in Geneva last year.
"I already don’t want to live. I already don’t understand what I’m living for. Whatever happened in Geneva, it was worse than anything that came before," Sharypova said in the interview.
"We had another fight, and in that fight he punched me in the face for the first time. In other fights he was pushing me, shoving me, twisting my arms, choking me. But this was the first time he punched me, really punched me.
"After this fight he left the room, and I was dying. I was emotionally dying. I didn’t understand everything in my life. I couldn’t understand why I was dealing with this, and why he’s not leaving me, why this keeps happening.
"I understand that I can’t live like this anymore. I understand that I can’t be with this person anymore, but he can’t leave me. I knew he wouldn’t let me go."
Sharypova continued by saying that she tried to commit suicide by injecting a supply of insulin in Zverev’s hotel room.
Afterwards, she said Zverev found an official from the event who came and talked to her through the door, ultimately persuading her to let them in. She said she was given what she believes were glucose tablets to counteract the insulin and recovered.
"I take the insulin. I knew that if you’re a healthy person and you take insulin, you can die. I injected it, and I wasn’t scared; I just wanted to leave in some way, because I can’t stand it anymore," she said.
"He came back in the room - I was in the bathroom with the closed door. I was just waiting for it to happen. He understood what I did and he started begging me to open the door.
"I didn’t want to live anymore. I had always heard these things from him, that I’m a bad person, I don’t deserve anything."
Journalist Ben Rothenberg, who conducted the interview, said: "I’d love to hear Zverev’s side, and tried to get it. Zverev was approached days ago and presented a detailed rundown of all the new allegations contained in this story. He declined to directly address any of those allegations, as he has repeatedly before and after."
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