Alexander Zverev refused to be drawn after a spectator shouted the names of two women, one of whom had settled assault accusations against him, during the Australian Open 2025 trophy presentation on Sunday. While addressing the crowd at Melbourne Park following his final defeat to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Zverev’s speech was interrupted after a spectator shouted the names of two women who had put domestic abuse allegations on Zverev in recent years, leading to boos and whistles from the crowd.

The German World No. 2 was well beaten in three sets by defending champion Jannik Sinner in the men’s singles final in Melbourne. Zverev was outclasseed 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-4 by Sinner, who won his second straight Australian Open title and third straight hard court Grand Slam.

Following the game, a woman began shouting out as the 27-year-old Zverev stepped up to give his speech afterwards at Rod Laver Arena. There were a few boos and whistles, but eventually the spectator’s voice was shut out by cheers and claps from the rest of the crowd.

“Australia believes in Olya and Brenda,” shouted the spectator, interrupted Zverev’s speech.

It was a reference to Olya Sharypova and Brenda Patea, two of Zverev’s ex-girlfriends. Patea, who also has a daughter with Zverev, had brought a criminal case against Zverev. However, it was settled off court.

Sharypova, who is also a former tennis player, had alleged domestic abuse against Zverev, but never went to police over it.

A German court in June dropped a case against the player over allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend, after a settlement was agreed hours before he was due to play in the semi-final of the French Open.

Zverev, who has denied wrongdoing, was asked in a post-match news conference to comment about what he heard.

He said: “I believe there are no more accusations. There haven’t been for, what, nine months now?

He added: “I think I’ve done everything I can, and I’m not about to open that subject again.”

With AFP inputs

Alexander Zverev refused to be drawn after a spectator shouted the names of two women, one of whom had settled assault accusations against him, during the Australian Open 2025 trophy presentation on Sunday. While addressing the crowd at Melbourne Park following his final defeat to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Zverev’s speech was interrupted after a spectator shouted the names of two women who had put domestic abuse allegations on Zverev in recent years, leading to boos and whistles from the crowd.

The German World No. 2 was well beaten in three sets by defending champion Jannik Sinner in the men’s singles final in Melbourne. Zverev was outclasseed 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-4 by Sinner, who won his second straight Australian Open title and third straight hard court Grand Slam.

Following the game, a woman began shouting out as the 27-year-old Zverev stepped up to give his speech afterwards at Rod Laver Arena. There were a few boos and whistles, but eventually the spectator’s voice was shut out by cheers and claps from the rest of the crowd.

“Australia believes in Olya and Brenda,” shouted the spectator, interrupted Zverev’s speech.

It was a reference to Olya Sharypova and Brenda Patea, two of Zverev’s ex-girlfriends. Patea, who also has a daughter with Zverev, had brought a criminal case against Zverev. However, it was settled off court.

‘Australia believes Olya & Brenda’ pic.twitter.com/A7zowZo812

— Adam (@AdamJoseph____) January 26, 2025

Sharypova, who is also a former tennis player, had alleged domestic abuse against Zverev, but never went to police over it.

A German court in June dropped a case against the player over allegations he assaulted his ex-girlfriend, after a settlement was agreed hours before he was due to play in the semi-final of the French Open.

Zverev, who has denied wrongdoing, was asked in a post-match news conference to comment about what he heard.

He said: “I believe there are no more accusations. There haven’t been for, what, nine months now?

He added: “I think I’ve done everything I can, and I’m not about to open that subject again.”

With AFP inputs

World number one Jannik Sinner will have his hearing into allegations of doping at the Court of Arbitration for Sport on April 16-17, the Lausanne-based body said on Friday. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared Sinner after he tested positive twice for the banned steroid clostebol in March last year. “No parties requested a public hearing and it will be conducted behind closed doors,” CAS said in a statement. The ITIA accepted defending Australian Open champion Sinner’s explanation that the drug entered his system when his physio used a spray containing it to treat a cut, then provided massage and sports therapy to the player.

Asked on the eve of the Australian Open if he knew when a verdict was due, the 23-year-old said: “I know exactly as much as you guys know.

“We are in a stage where we don’t know many, many things.”

Sinner, who faces a stern first-round test at Melbourne Park against big-hitting Chilean Nicolas Jarry, admitted the scandal continued to play on his mind.

“You think about this, of course,” he said. “I would lie if I would tell you I forget.

“It’s something what I have with me now already for quite a long time. But it is what it is. I’m here trying to prepare the Grand Slam. Let’s see how it goes.”

Sinner said he had always been “very, very careful on every single medicine I take, even what I eat”.

“When the bottle is open, I throw it away, I take a new one,” he said.

“In my mind I know exactly what happened, and that’s how I block it (out).

“I haven’t done anything wrong, that’s why I’m still here. That’s why I’m still playing.”

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has insisted Sinner’s case was “run by the book”.

“I genuinely believe there has been a lot of misinformation out there, which is unfortunate,” Gaudenzi told the Australian Associated Press in a recent interview.

“I am 100 percent sure that there has not been any preferential treatment. The process has been run by the book and according to the rules, by the ITIA.”

Former world number one Novak Djokovic said he believed Sinner when he said he tested positive due to contamination, but the 24-time Grand Slam winner asserted that players had been “kept in the dark” throughout the process.

“I’ve been really frustrated, as have most of the other players, that we’ve been kept in the dark for five months,” Djokovic said.

“He (Sinner) received the news (of the positive tests) in April and the announcement was not until August, just before the US Open.

“The ATP has not really talked in depth about why they kept that case away from the public.”

Novak Djokovic, fired up by his emotional Olympic Games triumph, targets new Grand Slam records at the US Open from Monday as title rival Jannik Sinner arrives in New York dogged by questions over two positive drugs tests. Defending champion Djokovic can become the oldest Open era champion at the tournament if he secures a fifth title, a record he would share with Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. The 37-year-old would also move to 25 Grand Slam triumphs, taking him clear of the 24 he currently shares with Margaret Court.

The final major of the year comes at a critical time for Djokovic.

This year he was succeeded as Australian Open champion by Sinner who also relieved him of his world number one ranking.

Carlos Alcaraz took his French Open title with the Spanish crowd-pleaser then sweeping Djokovic off court in a one-sided Wimbledon final.

However, Djokovic, returned to the clay courts of Roland Garros to stun Alcaraz in the Olympic final.

His tearful victory in Paris allowed him to become only the fifth player to complete a career Golden Slam of all four majors and Olympic gold.

The victory also silenced the increasing number of doubters who had written off the Serb as a spent force in a new era where Sinner, 23, and 21-year-old Alcaraz are steadily moving centre stage.

Djokovic, who underwent surgery on his right knee in June, described his Olympic victory as his “biggest sporting success”.

It was also the 99th title of his professional career.

‘Biggest success’

“At the age of 37 and facing a 21-year-old who is probably the best player in the world right now, winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back, I can say that this is probably the biggest sporting success I have ever had,” insisted Djokovic.

Sinner arrives at the final Slam of the season having captured the Cincinnati Masters title.

However, that triumph was quickly overshadowed when it emerged he had been cleared of any wrongdoing after twice testing positive for a banned substance earlier in the season.

Sinner tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic agent prohibited at all times by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

But he escaped a lengthy ban after officials accepted his explanation that the substance had entered his system as a result of contamination from a support team member.

“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me,” said Sinner.

The green light for him to continue playing was blasted as “ridiculous” by Australian player Nick Kyrgios.

Alcaraz, who won his first major at the US Open in 2022, was badly bruised by his defeat to Djokovic in the Olympic final.

He broke down in tears on court before admitting he felt he had “let Spain down”.

His build-up to New York wasn’t helped by a second round exit in Cincinnati to Gael Monfils in a match which saw the usually composed Alcaraz smash his racquet on court.

‘Worst match’

He described the defeat as the “worst match” of his career.

In the women’s singles at the US Open, Coco Gauff is the defending champion but the 20-year-old has endured a worrying dip in form in recent weeks.

A stormy exit from the Olympics in the third round was followed by early losses in Toronto and Cincinnati.

No woman has successfully defended her US Open title since Serena Williams in 2014.

Five-time major winner and world number one Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion in New York, made the Cincinnati semi-finals where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, was runner-up to Gauff at the US Open last year, losing from a set up in the final.