The trial of tennis player Alexander Zverev for alleged domestic violence against a former partner will take place from May 31 in Berlin, the city’s district court told the SID agency, an AFP subsidiary, on Monday evening.

The 26-year-old, who is currently participating in the Australian Open, had challenged in court a criminal order from the same court which imposed a fine of 450,000 euros on him in October for “assault”.

Eight court dates are scheduled between now and July for the hearing, the Tiergarten district court added.

However, no personal appearance has yet been ordered, Alexander Zverev will therefore be able to be represented by his lawyers for the moment, without going to Berlin.

The tennis player, 6th in the world, is accused of having, in May 2020 in Berlin, “physically mistreated a woman during an argument and of having damaged her health”, according to the court.

The legal proceedings do not mention the name of the complainant. But the players’ defenders indicated in October that it was Brenda Patea, his former partner.

The law firm Schertz Bergmann, which represents the player, affirmed on this occasion that the facts described by Ms. Patea “and which are the only basis for the order have already been rejected by a medical report”.

Alexander Zverev has maintained his innocence and rejected these accusations since the start of this procedure led by the Berlin package in July 2023.

In January 2023, the ATP, which manages the international men’s tennis circuit, closed another investigation into allegations of domestic violence against the player, this time from a female tennis player, for lack of sufficient evidence.

It was opened following accusations of violence brought against him at the end of 2020 by Olga Sharypova, another former partner.