Alexander Zverev faces a battle away from the tennis court. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI
A trial against Alexander Zverev begins next week, during the French Open, because the German tennis star will not accept a six-figure fine for physical assault.
23. May 2024
By: dpa/sportnews
Starting on May 31, a total of ten days of hearings are planned before the Tiergarten District Court until July 19, the court announced on Thursday. The background to this is a penal order that the district court imposed on the professional athlete in October 2023. According to this, Zverev is to pay a fine of 450,000 euros (90 daily rates of 5,000 euros each) for bodily harm. However, the tennis player denies the accusation and has lodged an appeal. That is why the trial is now taking place.
The alleged victim is appearing as a co-plaintiff in the proceedings. According to the court, she will be questioned as a witness on the first day of the trial. The 27-year-old is accused of physically abusing a woman during an argument in Berlin in May 2020. The professional athlete denies this.
Most recently, Alexander Zverev had a great sporting performance when he won the tournament in Rome. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI
Last October, when the court made its announcement, the tennis player’s lawyers announced that the allegations underlying the penalty order had already been refuted by a report from a Berlin forensic doctor. The proceedings suffer from “serious procedural violations”. Zverev will take action against this with “all means”, according to a press release from Zverev’s lawyers.
Zverev does not have to go to Berlin
The French Open is taking place in Paris at the same time as the trial begins, and the Olympic champion is one of the favorites to win the title. Zverev does not have to appear in court in Berlin. Since this is a criminal order, he can be represented by a lawyer, it was said. “The court did not order him to appear in person,” a spokeswoman said. Until a final conviction is made, Zverev is presumed innocent.
2024-05-23 15:52:08
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