Tennis player Alexander Zverev resolves charges of assault alongside ex-partner.
Alexander Zverev, a 27-year-old tennis player, faced accusations of "physically harming and damaging a woman's health during an argument in Berlin in May 2020," a statement from the court on October 31 of 2023 revealed.
The claims allege that Zverev "briefly strangled his ex-partner on the neck with both hands in the stairwell of a Berlin apartment building" during a fight. The alleged victim supposedly experienced shortness of breath and significant pain, according to the court assertion.
In October 2023, Zverev was fined €450,000 ($478,000) and charged, but he denied the allegations and launched an appeal.
The trial commenced on May 31 and was projected to extend for several days until July 19. However, it came to a halt after only three days.
The court announced on Friday that "the defendant and the co-plaintiff had agreed to the proceedings being discontinued."
The verdict mandates Zverev to pay a penalty of €200,000 ($217,846), with €150,000 ($163,381) going to the Berlin state treasury and €50,000 ($54,457) to the "Collection Fund for Fines for Charity" overseen by the Berlin Court of Appeal.
Zverev's attorneys stated in a statement to CNN, "Alexander Zverev has agreed to this discontinuation through his defense counsel, solely to expedite the process - primarily for his child's well-being."
"Alexander Zverev is assumed innocent. The dismissal is neither a verdict of guilt nor an admission of guilt. The legal presumption of innocence remains intact."
CNN has attempted to reach out to the plaintiff's attorneys for comment.
Zverev will compete against Norwegian Casper Ruud in the French Open semi-final on Friday, both athletes seeking their first grand slam trophy.
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Despite the resolution of the charges, the tennis scandal involving Alexander Zverev continues to cast a shadow over his career. Following the discontinuation of the trial, Zverev will still need to focus on his tennis game as he faces Casper Ruud in the French Open semi-final.
