BERLIN: World No. 1 tennis player Alexander Zverev is facing a fresh civil lawsuit filed by his former partner Brenda Patea in Berlin, days before the ATP Finals begin on Sunday.
The lawsuit, filed on September 18, concerns comments Zverev made about an earlier domestic abuse case brought by Patea, the mother of his daughter. She has challenged his public statements that the allegations against him were proven false and that his innocence had been established.
In a June interview with French newspaper L’Équipe, following his French Open victory, Zverev said the allegations had been disproved. Patea’s legal team has argued that the earlier proceedings did not establish his innocence.
The criminal proceedings against Zverev were discontinued in 2024 after both sides settled. He agreed to pay 200,000 euros, including 150,000 euros to the German state treasury and 50,000 euros to charitable organisations. The case ended without a court verdict establishing guilt or innocence.
Journalist Ben Rothenberg, who first reported the fresh lawsuit, said it refers to letters sent by Patea’s lawyer to Zverev on August 6, 11 and 25, asking him to stop making statements claiming he had been cleared. The lawsuit alleges that Zverev did not respond.
Patea is seeking a court order preventing the tennis player from repeating the disputed claims, along with monetary compensation, according to Rothenberg’s report.
Zverev has consistently denied the domestic abuse allegations. His media lawyer, Christian Schertz, told Rothenberg that he could not comment because the new lawsuit had not yet been formally served on his client.
The fresh legal challenge comes as Zverev prepares for the ATP Finals, which begin in Turin on November 15.
(With inputs from media reports)