An agitated Alexander Zverev told reporters ‘he never, ever wanted to hear another question’ about his trial over domestic abuse allegations after winning through to the French Open final. On a surreal day for the 27-year-old, he beat Casper Ruud in four sets just hours after learning his legal case was being discontinued.
The world No.4 was given a penalty order last October and fined £390,000 after being accused of physically abusing his former partner, but strenuously denied the claims and launched an objection against the order.
He was not required to appear at the subsequent public trial, but on Friday the Tiergarten District Court in Berlin confirmed proceedings had ended after both parties reached a settlement.
And after reaching only his second ever Grand Slam final, Zverez was immediately forced to take questions on the case, and was pressed on whether he felt he was now ‘moving on’ with his tennis. “I told you so from the start,” he snapped back.
“I told everybody. I’m happy that it’s over. There is nothing else more to say. That’s it. Four years. I’m happy about that.”
The court confirmed Zverev will pay £170,000, with the majority of that going to German state treasury and the rest to non-profit organisations. But in a released statement, the German’s legal team said the agreement “does not constitute a finding of guilt or an admission of guilt.”
They also insisted the allegations against the 2020 Olympic champion were “now groundless”. And Zverez himself added: “That’s what dropping the case is. That is innocence.
“They’re not going to drop the case if you’re guilty at the end of the day. I don’t know what translations you have, but that’s what it means.”
Clearly irked by the line of questioning, he added: “Done. We move on. I never ever want to hear another question about the subject again. That goes out to everybody.”
Alexander Zverev press conference transcript in full
THE MODERATOR: Sascha, well done. Reaching your first Roland Garros final. How do you see your matchup against Carlos? And what do you remember of your quarterfinal two years ago?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Look, I think in a Grand Slam final there is obviously no easy matches and no easy opponents. If you’re in the final of Roland Garros, you deserve to be there. That goes for him, as well. He played a fantastic match today. Played a fantastic tournament in general, I think. I’m expecting a very difficult match.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.
Q. Quite a day for you. I imagine given the announcement this morning regarding the legal process that’s been terminated, I’m curious if you could sort of share your thoughts about sort of that ending and then working through to this match you played, which is probably some of the best tennis you’ve ever played and sort of whether you feel like you’re moving on from something.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I told you so from the start. I told everybody. I’m happy that it’s over.
Yeah, nothing else more to say. That’s it. Four years. I’m happy about that.
Q. On that, Sascha, any reservations on your part that you came to a settlement and that you didn’t have a chance for the court in Berlin to say that you were innocent of all the charges?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: That’s what dropping the case is. That is innocence. They’re not going to drop the case if you’re guilty at the end of the day. I don’t know what translations you have, but that’s what it means.
Done. We move on. I never ever want to hear another question about the subject again. That goes out to everybody.
Q. I wanted to talk about the mental part of your game. You were two breaks down against Griekspoor. You were two sets to one down against Rune. You were one set down today against Ruud, who beat you fairly well last year. How do you keep so calm in your match? The win against Rafa did something to you?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I think, look, to go deep and to win a Grand Slam, you have to go through difficulties and you have to go through a lot of ups and downs.
You’re not going to win a Grand Slam by winning every match in straight three sets. Some players do, like Roger did, Rafa did a few times, but, you know, normally to win a Grand Slam you have to go through battles. You have to come back in tough five-set matches. You have to come back from difficult moments.
I’m happy, you know, the way and the path I had. I’m happy to be in a Grand Slam final and give myself the best chance to win on Sunday.
Q. Given what you have been through this week on and off the court, what would it mean to you if you do pick up that trophy on Sunday?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It’s not only this week. It’s just the last years. It’s as simple as that. Going from basically US Open final, going from the US Open final where I was two points away to, you know, being rolled off in a wheelchair here two years ago. It’s all path of my journey.
Look, I’m in the final. I haven’t won yet. But I just want to play my best tennis and give myself the best chance. If I am able to do that and if I am able to lift that trophy, it will mean the world to me.
Q. How much has that, did that, maybe it no longer does, but that 2020 final you just referred to weigh on you?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I think I talked about it a lot, and I said there was one of two ways to come back from two situations. The first was the 2020 final of the US Open and obviously the injury that I had two years ago. You either come back stronger and you come back, you know, hungrier, you come back wanting to win more, which I feel like I did in 2021 when I had my best year on tour so far. Didn’t win a Grand Slam, but felt like I had opportunities, won the gold medal, won the most titles on tour by any player that year.
Or you kind of go into yourself. You kind of go into yourself. You drop mentally a bit, as well. I’m happy that I was the sort of person that took the first path.
Here I am. I want to give myself the best chance, and that’s what I’m doing at the end of the day. We’ll see how Sunday goes.
Q. Looking ahead to Sunday, could you give us an idea of how you think that matchup shapes up. You have had success against Carlos in the past. What do you think for you will be the most important element on Sunday?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Yeah, I mean, we had very tough battles in the past, right? I think he’s probably the player — I’m the player that he played the most in his career probably, right?
Q. Same as Sinner.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Same with Sinner?
I think, you know, it is going to be a difficult match. It is a Grand Slam final. If you’re in a Grand Slam final, you deserve to be there. That goes for both of us.
I think both of us are expecting a tough battle.
