Ahead of upcoming domestic abuse court trial, is there a rule in place to prevent Alexander Zverev from playing at French Open 2024?
Alexander Zverev is succeeding on the tennis court, but his life off-court is far from ideal. The German has been involved in a court case since 2023 for an alleged physical assault on his ex-girlfriend, Brenda Patea.
Zverev has been allowed to compete in all the ATP and Grand Slam tournaments. This has caused an uproar amongst a section of the fans, who want Zverev to be banned until he is proven innocent. Recently, a rule from the rule book of ATP and Grand Slam has come into notice, with laws that could get Zverev banned from professional tennis.
ATP and Grand Slam rules come to light as Zverev awaits court verdict
The Grand Slam rule book has an entry stating that the federation can ban a player if he is "deemed to be involved in violation of criminal or civil law". The law further states that the player will be fined and banned from Grand Slam tournaments if convicted by the court.
Similarly, the ATP has a rule that states that a player charged with violation of criminal or civil law can be suspended from competing in ATP tournaments until proven innocent.
Zverev has been allowed to compete in the ATP and Grand Slam events as of yet during his ongoing court case. Notably, the German is also a part of the ATP players council for the season.
While these rules may work against Zverev, there are a few things that point in favour of the German. In Zverev's case, it was the 27-year-old himself who went to the court to challenge the allegations of his ex-girlfriend. The ATP has also carried out an investigation on Zverev but found no proof against the German.
What next for Alexander Zverev?
Alexander Zverev is currently competing at the 2024 French Open but will have one eye on the court proceedings in Berlin. The court date for the German's case is set for May 31 and it is still unclear whether he needs to be present in court or not.
If proven guilty, Zverev might be banned from professional tennis according to the ATP and Grand Slam rules. However, the 27-year-old is confident that he will win the case and be proven innocent once and for all.
"At the end of the day, I do believe in the German system. I do believe in the truth. I do believe that l'm not going to lose this procedure… There's absolutely no chance I am," Alexander Zverev told the media after his 2024 Italian Open win.
With Zverev still in contention for the French Open title and a court date set for the May 31, next week could prove decisive for the German and his tennis future.