Australian Open boss hits out at ‘disruptive’ heckler after controversial chants on Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev has faced allegations of physical abuse by two of his ex girlfriends in the past.
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Craig Tiley Alexander Zverev (via X)
CEO of Tennis Australia and Director of Australian Open, Craig Tiley defended the decision to evict the heckler who interrupted Alexander Zverev during the trophy ceremony. She could be heard shouting, “Australia believes Olya and Brenda” thrice before the crowd noise silenced her.
Her statement refers to the allegations of physical abuse, which two of Zverev’s ex-girlfriends- Olya Sharypova and Brenda Patea, have accused him of. In 2020, Sharypova accused Zverev of violence and emotional abuse, which he denied.
I thought that Alex Zverev gave us all a lesson on how you respond to disruption and he has moved…He has got a great deal of humility and empathy behind the scenes. He treats the staff extremely well. And we talk about Sascha and our experience with him and it is a very special one.
Craig Tiley said (H/T: The Hindustan Times)
After 15 months of independent investigation, the ATP announced that it would take no disciplinary action against Alexander Zverev. The body arrived at this decision due to insufficient evidence of violence against Sharypova.
In 2023, Patea, another ex-girlfriend and the mother of Zverev’s daughter, also accused him of physical abuse. Patea brought a criminal case against Zverev that was settled out of court on 7 June 2024.
Alexander Zverev lost his third Grand Slam final
Alexander Zverev played his third Grand Slam final at the Australian Open 2025. He played his first Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open, where he lost to Dominic Thiem. His next Grand Slam final was at the 2024 French Open, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev lost the Australian Open 2025 finals to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, in straight sets. Sinner, the three-time Grand Slam champion, could be seen consoling and embracing the German on his heartbreaking third Grand Slam final defeat.
“She was disruptive to the players in that instance, to the rest of the fans that were enjoying the rest of the final, rightly so, she should be evicted because we don’t tolerate behaviour that is designed to be disruptive and that’s what her behaviour was designed to do,” he added”.
Craig Tiley said (H/T: The Hindustan Times)
In this very vulnerable moment, Zverev dealt with the heckler who had brought up his past resolved allegations with poise and calmness. He did not react at the moment, but the German called the woman out at the Australian Open press conference.
However, that was just one side of the sad storyline for Zverev as the wait for his first Grand Slam title goes on. He will now start preparing for the final few tournaments of the hard court season before going into the clay court season.
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