By Han Guan/AP
Alexander Zverev was knocked out by Michael Mmoh in the second round of the Australian Open.
German tennis player Alexander Zverev will not face disciplinary action after an investigation into domestic abuse allegations against him found “sufficient evidence” to support the men’s legal profession, he said on Tuesday.
The ATP had ordered an investigation in October 2021 after Zverev’s former girlfriend, Olya Sharypova, accused the 2020 Open runner of abuse.
“Due to the lack of specific evidence and witness testimony, in addition to the alleged discrepancies from Sharypova, Zverev and other interviews, the investigation could not substantiate the allegations of abuse, or establish violations of the ATP On-Site Crimes or Major Player Offenses rules,” the ATP said in a statement. .
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The 25-year-old Zverev, who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, has always denied the accusations. It is currently ranked 14th.
“I am grateful that this has finally been resolved and my priority now is to recover from the injury and focus on what I love most in this world – tennis,” Zverev said in a statement.
Although no disciplinary action will be taken, the ATP said the determination should be disclosed “if new evidence comes to light, or if any judicial action reveals violations of ATP rules.”
The 15-month investigation was conducted by the Illinois-based Lake Forest Group and included interviews with more than two people and reviews of text messages, audio files, and photos submitted by Sharypova and Zverev.
“This includes material automatically extracted from Zverev’s electronic devices by a third-party forensic expert,” ATP said.
The inquiry focused primarily on accusations of abuse at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai in 2019, but also “reported crime in other locations, including Monaco, New York and Geneva, in a public report.”
Ultimately, investigators “found insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations of abuse issued,” the governing body said.
ATP chief executive Massimo Calvelli said the switch to specialist researchers was “new ground” for the Tour.
“Ultimately, we believe a thorough process was necessary to reach an informed decision,” he said in a prepared statement.
“It has also been shown that there is a need for us to be more responsible in maintaining things. We have taken this approach in that direction, as there is still a lot of important work ahead.
Zverev lost to Michael Mmoh in the second round of the Australian Open in January.