LONDON – US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev denied accusations that he abused former girlfriend Olga Sharypova.
The 23-year-old Sharypova alleges that Zverev tried to strangle her with a pillow and slammed her head into the wall in a New York hotel room in August of 2019 shortly before the start of the US Open. She said she fled the room barefoot and in fear for her life.
Sharypova first detailed the allegation on her Instagram account on Thursday. She later told Russian website Championat that it was Zverev who delivered the abuse.
Sharypova, who is Russian, told CNN she did not contact police. She said that was because she “loved this person and did not want to create problems for him.”
Zverev, 23, disputed the allegations in a Twitter post, referring to them as “unfounded accusations.”
— Alexander Zverev (@AlexZverev) October 29, 2020
“We have known each other since we were children and shared many experiences together,” Zverev wrote. “I very much regret that she makes such statements because the accusations are simply not true.
“We had a relationship, but it ended a long time ago. Why Olga is making these accusations now, I just don’t know. I really hope that the two of us will find a way to deal with each other again in a reasonable and respectful way.”
Sharypova told CNN that she felt she needed to speak up -- not just for herself but to help other women.
“I do not want to say that he is a bad person. I’m just saying that he did a terrible thing to me,” Sharypova told CNN. “A huge number of girls suffer from cruelty, violence and abuse from men and do not tell their stories to anyone. Some are afraid, some just live with it, others simply cannot talk about this topic.
“It hurts me that in the 21st century we still have not come to the conclusion that a woman is also a person, a human. We must be respected, not treated like floor rags.”
Zverev, who hails from Germany, has won 13 career titles and came close to his first Grand Slam title last month before losing to Austria’s Dominic Thiem in the U.S. Open final. He won the first two sets before Thiem rallied to win the final three.
Zverev is currently ranked No. 7 in the world.
Field Level Media