The German firmly denies his former girlfriend’s allegations but
Tennis needs to stop looking the other way and investigate
Casual tennis fans around the world would have been forgiven for assuming that Alexander Zverev did not play last week. At the
Paris Masters, the penultimate big tournament of the year, Zverev won four matches to reach the final but each time he entered the court many of the bustling official tennis
Social Media accounts fell silent. Although he beat Stan Wawrinka in straight sets, Tennis TV provided only footage of his opponent’s successes. When he faced
Rafael Nadal, his presence in the match was noted only when he won. No explanation was offered.
It isn’t difficult to suggest a reason for the silence. A few days before the tournament began, Zverev’s ex-girlfriend, Olga Sharypova, uploaded an
Instagram post stating that she had been a victim of domestic violence by a former partner.