Alexander Zverev opened up about the domestic assault allegations he is facing on Friday, apologising for the negative attention it has brought to tennis and insisting the picture painted by his ex-girlfriend is “not who I am”.
Former junior player Olga Sharypova said in a social media post last month that the German world number seven had tried to “strangle” her while at last year’s US Open.
In a subsequent media interview with Racquet magazine, the Russian alleged the abuse she suffered drove her to attempt suicide.
Zverev, who also found out recently that he is expecting a baby with another former partner, put out a short statement on Instagram to deny Sharypova’s claims but had refused to provide any further answers to questions on the subject.
He changed that stance at his press conference ahead of the ATP Finals in London, saying: “Many people have asked me why I kept my mouth shut, why I didn’t say anything.
“While I very much regret that those accusations are made, I have to stick to my initial thing of them being just untrue and continue to deny them.”