€450,000 penalty for Alexander Zverev over physical abuse case involving mother of his child: Reports
The Berlin public prosecutor's office has issued a criminal order against Alexander Zverev for physically injuring ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea, for which he has also been handed a €450,000 penalty.
Patea, who is the mother of Zverev's child, had earlier accused the German of assaulting her during an argument in 2020. The court issued a statement in that regard, saying:
"The defendant is accused of physically abusing a woman and damaging her health as part of an argument in Berlin in May 2020," as reported by Bild.
Along with the order, starting October 2, came a fine -- €5,000 daily for 90 days, taking the total amount to nearly half a million euros. However, it should be noted that the former World No. 2 will be considered a criminal in Germany only if he has been made to pay the penalty order for more than 90 days.
As expected, Alexander Zverev has lodged an objection against the ruling, meaning that the court will hear arguments from the parties involved once again. After that, the case could go to trial.
Alexander Zverev's criminal defense team: "The procedure is scandalous"
Alexander Zverev's criminal defense lawyers, Prof. Dr. Alfred Dierlamm and Katharina Dierlamm, put out a statement professing their client's innocence, stating that the court ruling was "scandalous."
They also made it clear that Zverev has every intention of taking action against it and that he rejects the accusation made against him by Brenda Patea.
"The procedure is scandalous, there can be no question of a fair, constitutional procedure. Mr. Zverev will take every possible action against this.”
“Mr Zverev rejects the accusation made against him. The allegations made by the complainant alone on which the penalty order is based have already been confirmed by a forensic medical report from the recognized Berlin forensic doctor Prof. Dr. Tsokos, Charité Berlin, refuted,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, on the tennis side of things, Alexander Zverev is in action at the Paris Masters, hoping to book his berth in the ATP Finals. The 26-year-old won his opener against Marton Fucsovics and will take on Ugo Humbert in the Round of 32.
Zverev is No. 7 in the Race to Turin at the moment, and with many competitors out of the tournament in Paris already, he has a great chance of qualifying for the year-end championships this year. He is a two-time winner at the tournament, having won it in 2018 and 2021.