It didn’t take long for word to spread through the tennis fraternity that a journalist at this year’s Australian Open was asking players about the Alexander Zverev issue at their post-match press conferences.

Awkward clips of players dodging the question were soon all over X, formerly Twitter, posted by tennis accounts and podcasts. The clips attracted criticism from tennis diehards seemingly upset and confused the matter was being raised, as well as praise and relief that someone was finally asking basic questions about a problem that had been swept under the rug.

World No. 6 Alexander Zverev didn’t like what he heard when asked questions about the allegations. Credit: Getty

That problem is this: Zverev, a German player currently ranked sixth in the world and competing for a spot in the quarter-finals of this tournament, has been fighting allegations of domestic abuse for more than three years. The 26-year-old strenuously denies these allegations.

Allegations have been made by two women; ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova, who made the claims of emotional and physical abuse in a 2020 article by tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg, and another ex-girlfriend, Brenda Patea, who claimed the tennis player pushed her against a wall and “choked” her during an argument.

The latter case is before a court in Berlin. Early last week, as the Australian Open got under way, German news agencies reported Zverev will stand trial on the charges after contesting a $740,000 fine issued by the court. The trial is scheduled for May, during the French Open.

So here we have a prominent tennis player – a former world No. 2 – on trial over domestic violence allegations, who not only continues to play at the highest level but was only this month elected by his peers to the Player Advisory Council of the Association of Tennis Professionals, which runs the men’s tour.

That is what I – along with my colleague Carla Jaeger – asked players, including Zverev, about last week. Put aside his guilt or innocence – that is for the courts to determine. But while this matter is unresolved, should he serve in a leadership position in the sport?

It was striking how male players refused to engage with the question at all. Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed to be “completely unfamiliar” with the situation. Cameron Norrie said it was “tough to comment”. Casper Ruud said he wasn’t sure how to react. Australia’s own Alex De Minaur said he preferred to stay out of “political decisions”.