By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Alexander Zverev is playing in Paris this week, while his lawyers contest a penalty order against him in Berlin.

A Berlin court issued a $475,000 penalty order against Zverev last month over abuse allegations that he caused bodily harm to his former girlfriend.

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In July, the attorney for Brenda Patea, Zverev's ex-girlfriend and mother of his child, told publication RTL a German prosecutor was seeking a penalty order against Zverev on the abuse charge.

The Berlin court issued the penalty order last month requiring Zverev to pay a $475,000 fine and released news of its order this week. 

The abuse allegations say Zverev damaged the health of a woman during an argument the couple had in May of 2020 in Berlin.

The court said in its statement Zverev is contesting the order with the case likely going to trial at the Tiergarten district court after both parties speak to the court.

A penalty order shows "that the public prosecutor's office sees sufficient suspicion [for the allegation]," RTL reports. The amount of the penalty order is determined by both the severity of the crime and the income of the alleged abuser in the case.

Issuing a penalty order is not a verdict, but a request for the prosecutor's office to act while sparing Zverev a public trial. Given Zverev has lodged an objection to the penalty order, there will likely be a public trial unless resolution is reached.

This isn't the first abuse allegation made against Zverev by a former partner.

Ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova detailed instances of physical and emotional abuse she said the Olympic gold-medal champion committed against her during their relationship.



Last January, the ATP announced after a 15-month investigation into allegations by Olga Sharypova that Zverev emotionally and physically abused her during their relationship, it found "insufficient evidence" to support the claims of abuse.

"A major independent investigation into Alexander Zverev has found insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse. As a result, no disciplinary action will be taken by ATP," the ATP said in a statement.

The men's tennis association said an independent investigation conducted interviews with Zverev, Sharypova and "24 other individuals" and did not substantiate abuse allegations.

Olga Sharypova, Zverev's ex-girlfriend, alleges Zverev violently abused her during the 2019 Shanghai Rolex Masters tournament.

In her extensive interview with Slate.com's Ben Rothenberg, Sharypova said she and Zverev argued repeatedly in their hotel room on October 9th, 2019. The German told her not to attend his Shanghai match against Andrey Rublev, Sharypova said.

When he returned from his match on October 10th, 2019, Sharypova said she was getting out of the shower naked when Zverev demanded she leave their hotel room immediately and began berating her.

When Sharypova asked for a little time to get dressed, she said the request sent Zverev into a rage. Sharypova said Zverev repeatedly punched her while she tried to defend herself from the attack.

"He started to punch me, and this time I understand that I can’t be dough for punching," Sharypova told Slate.com. "I was just trying to protect myself. I'm already naked.

"I'm a woman, I don't have much power. And after my shower, I don't have time to get my clothes. I don't feel safe for one second."



Earlier this year, Zverev said the ATP ruling is vindication of his innocence.

“This decision marks a third, neutral, third-party arbiter who has reviewed all relevant information and made a clear and informed decision on this matter in my favor,” Zverev said in a statement issued days after the ATP's January announcement. “In addition to the ATP’s independent investigation, I have also initiated court proceedings in Germany and Russia, both of which I have won.”

“I am grateful that this is finally resolved and my priority now is recovering from injury and concentrating on what I love most in this world – tennis.”

Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty