Alexander Zverev ‘tried to strangle his ex-girlfriend at last year’s US Open’

World No 7 and recent US Open finalist Alex Zverev has been rocked by claims made by an ex-girlfriend that he was the perpetrator of domestic abuse.

The 23-year-old German is the subject of allegations made by former partner Olya Sharypova. The claims come in the immediate aftermath of a different one-time partner, Brenda Patea, saying she is expecting Zverev’s child.

In an interview with the Russian publication Championat, Sharypova expressed a willingness to take a lie detector test.

Olya Sharypova (right), the former partner of Alexander Zverev (left), has claimed he abused her at last year’s US Open by trying to strangle her and hitting her head against a wall

Sharypova posted on Instagram and did not explicitly mention Zvrev's name, but later confirmed to a Russian outlet that she had been speaking about the German

Sharypova posted on Instagram and did not explicitly mention Zvrev’s name, but later confirmed to a Russian outlet that she had been speaking about the German

According to her the incidents mainly took place during last year’s US Open in New York, 12 months ahead of him reaching the final this September.

‘The first time this happened at the beginning of this relationship, there was a quarrel and I got hit with my head against the wall with so much power that I sat on the floor.

‘I ran out of the hotel barefoot. I was standing on the streets of New York and didn’t know where to go and what to do,’ said Sharypova, adding that the Hamburg-born star of Russian parentage ‘tried to choke me with a pillow, hit my head against the wall, twisted my hands. At that moment I was really afraid for my life’.

Sharypova was in a relationship with Zverev for several years before they broke up in 2019

Sharypova was in a relationship with Zverev for several years before they broke up in 2019

In her initial Instagram post, she wrote: ‘I want to tell one very personal and very hard story for me that I have already experienced and left in the past.

‘I was a victim of domestic abuse! The first time this happened at the beginning of this relationship, there was a quarrel and I got hit with my head against the wall with so much power that I sat on the floor.

‘In August of that year, I ran out of the hotel barefoot. I was standing on the streets of New York and didn’t know where to go and what to do.

‘They tried to choke me with a pillow, hit my head against the wall, twisted my hands and at that moment I was really afraid for my life.

But now she has claimed that the German tried to strangle her and hit her head against a wall

But now she has claimed that the German tried to strangle her and hit her head against a wall

‘This was far from the first and not the last situation when I was raised in a relationship. It was the scariest because at some point I couldn’t breathe.

‘Honestly, that time I remember hard because there were no colours of life, one fog and a lack of understanding. I was a different person, believed in love and tried to keep it. But people don’t change, as time shows.’

Then asked by Championat whether she was referring to Zverev, she said: ‘On that day, I was just walking with Daria Medvedeva (wife of Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev) and my friend. We lingered a little, and Sasha (Zverev) got angry about it.

‘When I got home, we had a fight. Our quarrels always took place from scratch. I wrote on Instagram that he tried to strangle me with a pillow, twisted my arms.

She also claimed that the domestic abuse against her from Zverev was not a one-time thing

She also claimed that the domestic abuse against her from Zverev was not a one-time thing

‘I tried to run out of the room several times, but he would not let me. I was afraid that someone might see and hear us. But in the end I managed to break free, and I ran off barefoot.

‘At first I was hiding in a hotel, but Sasha went downstairs and found me. We stood near the side entrance. I sobbed and tried to leave, and he wanted me to return to the room and we talked.

‘But I understood that at that moment there would be no dialogue. I was scared and wanted to run away. But Sasha pushed me against the wall and said that he would get nothing for it.

‘Fortunately, at that moment people appeared, and I rushed with them into the street. I was alone, barefoot in the middle of the street.

‘After this situation, Sasha wrote to and called me. At first I didn’t want to see him, but I decided that we still need to talk. I arrived at the hotel and waited for him in the lobby, because I did not have a room card.

The news comes after Brenda Patea (right) said she was pregnant with Zverev's child this week

The news comes after Brenda Patea (right) said she was pregnant with Zverev’s child this week

‘While we corresponded with Sasha, we again began to swear with him. I sat in the hotel toilet and cried. And when he arrived at the hotel, he just threw my things into the lobby.’

Sharypova also claimed in her post and in the interview that that the violence from Zverev wasn’t a one-time thing and claimed it had happened multiple times during their tumultuous relationship.

Zverev issued a statement insisting the claims were ‘unfounded’. 

‘We have known each other since we were children and shared many experiences together,’ he said. ‘I very much regret that she makes such statements because the accusations are simply not true.’

Zverev’s next tournament is the Paris Masters and his last event is due to be the ATP Finals at the 02 Arena, beginning on November 15. He won the title there in 2018.

l British No 1 Dan Evans yesterday reached the quarter-final in a strong field at the Erste Vienna Open, beating Austria’s Jurij Rodionov 7-5, 6-3.

Away from the allegations, Zverev has also made headlines for the wrong reasons this year after admitting he played while feeling ill at the French Open

Away from the allegations, Zverev has also made headlines for the wrong reasons this year after admitting he played while feeling ill at the French Open

It wasn't the first time Zverev has behaved recklessly with Covid-19, having attended Novak Djokovic's notorious Adria Tour before partying

 It wasn’t the first time Zverev has behaved recklessly with Covid-19, having attended Novak Djokovic’s notorious Adria Tour before partying

Zverev had promised fans he was going to self-isolate after competing in Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour event but was seen partying a few days later

Zverev had promised fans he was going to self-isolate after competing in Novak Djokovic’s Adria Tour event but was seen partying a few days later

Zverev posted this tweet after the event where he apologised to anyone that he potentially put at risk by playing the tour

Zverev posted this tweet after the event where he apologised to anyone that he potentially put at risk by playing the tour

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