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ATP acquits Alexander Zverev of domestic violence charges. The German tennis player had become the subject of accusations by his ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova, who recounted the physical violence she suffered: from hitting her head against the wall to an attempt at suffocation by the former world number two.
Allegations that the German tennis player had rejected, but which were still examined by justice and by the ATP. After months of silence, the ATP released a statement on the outcome of these investigations, which acquitted Zverev of all charges.
ATP said in a statement: "Commissioned by the ATP in October 2021, the investigation looked into allegations of domestic abuse made by Zverev's ex-girlfriend, Olya Sharypova. While the main focus of the investigation concerned alleged abuse that occurred at the he ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai in 2019, its scope also included alleged misconduct in other locations, including Monaco, New York and Geneva, as noted in public reports.
After an exhaustive 15-month process, LFG submitted its full report to ATP. Based on a lack of reliable evidence and eyewitness accounts, as well as conflicting statements by Sharypova, Zverev and other interviewees, the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse or determine that violations of the ATP rules for felonies on site or for the main player offenses took place.
As a result, the ATP will not take any disciplinary action against Zverev. However, this determination may be re-evaluated if new evidence comes to light or if any legal proceedings reveal violations of ATP rules. Zverev has consistently denied all allegations and supported the ATP's investigation." Massimo Calvelli, the CEO of the ATP explained the process: "The seriousness and complexity of these allegations required an extremely thorough investigative process and considerable resources.
He also required us to go to specialized investigators, which was new ground for the ATP. Ultimately we believe that the exhaustive process was necessary to reach an informed judgement. It has also shown the need for us to be more responsive on safeguards. It's why we've taken steps in that direction, with a lot of important work still to be done."