Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev starts trial for alleged domestic assault in Germany
- Alexander Zverev, the Olympic tennis champion, is facing allegations of domestic assault in Germany.
- The trial has begun in Berlin where Zverev is contesting a fine for the alleged incident.
- Zverev's defense claims the accusations are unfounded.
STORY: A Berlin court is listening to an appeal by tennis player Alexander Zverev. He was fined for allegedly hurting his girlfriend, which he says is not true. Zverev is ranked No 4 in the world and is playing at the French Open in Paris. His lawyers are in court fighting the fine of €450,000 he got in October. The accusation is that he tried to strangle Brenda Patea, his ex-partner and mother of his daughter, during an argument in May 2020. The court heard that Zverev allegedly pushed Patea against a wall and strangled her. The trial was paused after Zverev's legal team asked for the rest of the trial to be private to protect his privacy and his daughter's well-being. The trial will continue on Monday, and Patea is expected to give her testimony early in the trial. Zverev doesn't have to be in court at this point. The trial is set to run until the Wimbledon championships and finish before the Paris Olympics. Zverev, who is a former Olympic champion, believes he will be found innocent. He has denied previous allegations of domestic abuse by another ex-girlfriend. Zverev won against Rafael Nadal in the French Open, possibly ending Nadal's dominance in the tournament. EXPLANATION: A tennis player named Alexander Zverev is in court because he was fined for allegedly hurting his girlfriend. He denies doing it. Zverev is a top-ranked player and is currently playing in a big tournament in Paris. His lawyers are in court trying to fight the fine he got in October for allegedly trying to harm his ex-partner during an argument. The court heard that Zverev is accused of pushing his ex-partner against a wall and choking her. The trial was stopped after Zverev's lawyers asked for the rest of the trial to be private to protect his privacy and his daughter's well-being. The trial will start again on Monday, and his ex-partner is expected to give her side of the story early on. Zverev doesn't have to be in court right now. The trial will go on until the Wimbledon championships and end before the Paris Olympics. Zverev, who is a former Olympic champion, believes he will be found innocent. He has denied previous allegations of hurting another ex-girlfriend. Zverev won a big match in the French Open, which might mean the end of Nadal's winning streak in the tournament.