- Alexander Zverev insists he is not being distracted by his court hearing
- He is contesting a charge of domestic abuse but will not attend in person
- He faces a ‘peak’ Rafael Nadal in the first round at Roland Garros on Sunday
Alexander Zverev has insisted that his impending hearing for domestic abuse will be no distraction ahead of the French Open.
The world No4 was fined £390,000 by a German court and given a penalty order last year after being accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. The 27-year-old is contesting the charge and the hearing begins next Thursday.
After confirming that he will not be required to attend in person, Zverev was asked whether the court date is playing on his mind.
‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I believe in the German system. I believe in the truth, as well. I know what I did, I know what I didn’t do.
‘At the end of the day, that’s what’s going to come out, and I have to trust in that.
Alexander Zverev has insisted he is not distracted from the French Open by his impending court hearing for domestic abuse
Brenda Patea described her former boyfriend as ‘jealous’ and claimed that this could result in ‘repeated physical violence’ against her. Zverev has denied all wrongdoing against him
‘I’m not going to lose this procedure. There’s absolutely no chance I am. That’s why I can play calmly, and I think my results have been showing it.’
Zverev faces 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in a showstopping first-round match on Monday, and said he will not be underestimating a player who has looked shadow of his former self. ‘For me, in my mind, I’m going to play peak Rafa Nadal,’ he insisted.
‘That’s what I expect him to be. I expect him to be at his absolute best. I expect him to play the best tennis he’s played in a long time on this court.
‘There’s always been discussion. I mean, [in] 2022 I remember he came into Roland Garros not winning Monte-Carlo, not winning Madrid, not winning Rome.
‘He came into this tournament, everybody was like, “oh, he’s a big question mark, he’s this and that.” He came and dominated the entire tournament.
‘I think he’s going to be at his best, and that’s my mindset going into this match./
Zverev was asked who he felt was more unlucky to be playing the other at the earliest stage possible.
He said: ‘I think both of us, if we would have a choice, we would choose differently, for sure.
Zverev won his second Rome title in a confidence boost coming into Roland Garros
He will face Rafael Nadal in the first round, a legend he describes as being in his ‘peak’
‘I really wanted to play him one more time, one more time. Because I didn’t want my last memory to be me rolling off in a wheelchair off Philippe Chatrier. I really wanted to play him here.
‘I did not want to play him in the first round (smiling). I wanted to play him in the semifinals, finals, a later stage of the tournament.
‘But at the end of the day, he’s not seeded, it is how it is, and I think we’re both prepared for a tough battle.’
