The Association of Tennis Professionals announced Tuesday that Alexander Zverev would face no disciplinary action after an independent investigation it commissioned “found insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse.”
The top men’s tennis circuit launched the probe in October 2021, approximately a year after the German star’s ex-girlfriend, Olga Sharypova, first made public accusations of physical and mental abuse. The ATP said its primary focus was on alleged abuses committed during the 2019 Shanghai Masters, and it also looked into accusations by Sharypova regarding incidents she said took place in Geneva, Monaco and New York.
The investigation was carried out over 15 months by the Illinois-based Lake Forest Group, which, per the ATP, conducted “extensive interviews with both Sharypova and Zverev, and 24 other individuals including family and friends, tennis players, and other parties involved with the ATP Tour.”
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“Based on a lack of reliable evidence and eyewitness reports, in addition to conflicting statements by Sharypova, Zverev and other interviewees,” the ATP said, “the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse, or determine that violations of ATP’s On-Site Offenses or Player Major Offenses rules took place.”
Zverev, a 25-year-old German ranked No. 14 after reaching a career high of No. 2 last year, has denied Sharypova’s accusations on multiple occasions. He said Tuesday in a statement shared on social media that “justice had prevailed” after a “long and difficult process.”
“From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence and denied the baseless allegations made against me,” said Zverev, who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. “I welcomed and fully cooperated with the ATP’s investigation and am grateful for the organisation’s time and attention in this matter.”
A native of Russia and former youth tennis player who first crossed paths with Zverev when they were in their early teens, Sharypova made an initial accusation of abuse by an unspecified partner via Instagram in 2020. She followed that by confirming to a Russian website that she was referring to Zverev when she wrote online of having been repeatedly assaulted.
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In comments published by Racquet in November 2020, Sharypova said the physical abuse began the year before in Monaco when Zverev “hit my head into the wall.” In New York ahead of the 2019 U.S. Open, she said, he smothered her with a pillow, after which she fled barefoot from their hotel in midtown Manhattan. Less than a month later, while in Geneva for the Laver Cup, Zverev “punched me in the face for the first time,” Sharypova said. She added that the episode led her to make an attempt to take her own life.
In an August 2021 interview with Slate, Sharypova detailed what she described as a violent interaction at the Shanghai Masters in October 2019. After some tense exchanges over the previous day, she said, Zverev attacked her as soon as she emerged from a shower. He grabbed her by the throat and “started to punch me,” she said, causing her to respond with what physical force she could muster “to protect myself.”
In a match later that day, Zverev was seen with what appeared to be scratch marks on his neck. Sharypova told Slate the reddish abrasions were inflicted by her during their fight.
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In announcing Tuesday its decision not to act against Zverev, the ATP said it may reevaluate the situation “should new evidence come to light, or should any legal proceedings reveal violations of ATP rules.”
Following an on-court incident in Mexico last year in which Zverev repeatedly struck a chair umpire’s stand with his racket, the ATP placed him on one year’s probation, set to end Feb. 22. During the 12-month period, Zverev has had the possibility of incurring a fine and suspension for what the tour described as “verbal or physical abuse of an official, opponent, spectator, or any other person while on-court or on-site.”
Zverev wrote Tuesday that, after he initiated and won court proceedings in Germany and Russia related to Sharypova’s accusations, the ATP’s announcement amounted to “a third neutral, third-party arbiter who has reviewed all relevant information and made a clear and informed decision on this matter in my favour.”
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“The seriousness and complexity of these allegations required an extremely thorough investigative process and considerable resources,” ATP chief executive Massimo Calvelli said in a statement. “It also required us to turn to specialist investigators, which was new ground for ATP. We ultimately believe the exhaustive process was necessary to reach an informed judgement.”
Calvelli added that the case has “also shown the need for us to be more responsive on safeguarding matters.” He said the tour has taken “steps in that direction, with a lot of important work still ahead.”
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