Djokovic has never really won the hearts of the Australian crowds and the scarcely believable melodrama when his lack of vaccination saw him deported from Australia ahead of the Open in 2022 didn’t help. Djokovic, to be fair, has insisted he isn’t an anti-vaxxer, saying in an interview last year: “I was never anti-vax. I was always pro-freedom to choose.”
At least his loss in the semifinals has spared us the possibility that he might come up with more woo-woo psychobabble like that.
Meanwhile, with the Zverev saga, the ATP has demonstrated it is far more interested in preserving the status quo than fronting up to an issue that has gathered momentum in recent times - violence against women.
What they didn’t count on was the fact that the Australian Open environment would see fans, other players (mostly women, it must be said) and media deciding not to observe the same vow of silence under which the Zverev business has largely been placed.
Before we go any further, it’s important to say that the whole point of this column is not to cast Zverev as a basher. The presumption of innocence is a precious thing that Zverev (who has strongly denied all accusations) deserves, same as anyone. No, the purpose is to give the ATP and world tennis a serve for not dealing adequately with the wider issue.
Here are the facts:
- Zverev faces a public trial in May because of allegations by his former partner, Brenda Patea. She accused him of choking her and, in an interview with a German newspaper, mentioned (unspecified) bouts of anger that turned into physical violence. In October, Zverev was fined €450,000 ($800,000) as a penalty order after a hearing in Germany. In German law, a penalty order can be applied when there is evidence to support the accusation and a trial is not deemed necessary.
- Defendants can contest the order, which then results in a public trial. That’s what Zverev has done, leading to the May hearing. Zverev said in November: “I think it’s complete bulls****. Anybody that has a semi-standard IQ level knows what this is all about.”
- Three years earlier, a previous partner of Zverev’s and former tennis player, Olya Sharypova, posted allegations on Instagram of abuse at various places around the world, including being punched in the face, smothered with a pillow and fearing for her life. Sharypova did not go to the police, Zverev denied it all and a 15-month investigation by an outside firm hired by the ATP (including interviews with Sharypova, Zverev and 24 others) led to the ATP announcing last year there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations.
Other sports bodies around the world have stand-down rules that cover such matters. If a player is accused of something criminal, bodies like the NRL, NBA and NFL apply it, so the player does not compete - often on full pay - until the matter is resolved. Just last year, for example, the NRL stood down Cowboys forward Luciano Leilua after he was arrested and charged with domestic violence. Police later dropped the charges.
The ATP has no such policy on domestic violence, although they do have a broader rule allowing a player to be suspended for “conduct contrary to the integrity” of tennis. They have not applied that in the case of Zverev.
What they also didn’t count on was that growing feelings about such issues would lead to inconvenient inquiries. After his first-round match, for example, Zverev had to endure uncomfortable questioning from journalists about his election to the Players’ Council - a ludicrously timed promotion in the world of men’s tennis.
Then former Australia tennis star Jelena Dokic - herself a victim of domestic abuse - made sure the issue remained alive when, during an on-court interview at the Open, she asked Aryna Sabalenka to sign a towel. Dokic said (Zverev was not referenced at all) she would auction it off to raise funds for those impacted by domestic abuse.
All this fuss may also have done Zverev no favours. For such a gifted player, he has never won a grand slam event and has never made another final since 2020 (when he lost to Dominique Thiem), the same year the allegations began.
So the ATP have failed not only to remove the elephant from the room, they have pretty much stood by as it defecated on the very rug under which matters were swept.
Paul Lewis has been a journalist since the last ice age. Sport has been a lifetime pleasure and part of a professional career during which he has written four books, and covered Rugby World Cups, America’s Cups, Olympic & Commonwealth Games and more.
