Craig Tiley Alexander Zverev (via X)
CEO of Tennis Australia and Director of Australian Open, Craig Tiley defended the decision to evict the heckler who interrupted Alexander Zverev during the trophy ceremony. She could be heard shouting, “Australia believes Olya and Brenda” thrice before the crowd noise silenced her.
Her statement refers to the allegations of physical abuse, which two of Zverev’s ex-girlfriends- Olya Sharypova and Brenda Patea, have accused him of. In 2020, Sharypova accused Zverev of violence and emotional abuse, which he denied.
After 15 months of independent investigation, the ATP announced that it would take no disciplinary action against Alexander Zverev. The body arrived at this decision due to insufficient evidence of violence against Sharypova.
In 2023, Patea, another ex-girlfriend and the mother of Zverev’s daughter, also accused him of physical abuse. Patea brought a criminal case against Zverev that was settled out of court on 7 June 2024.
Alexander Zverev lost his third Grand Slam final
Alexander Zverev played his third Grand Slam final at the Australian Open 2025. He played his first Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open, where he lost to Dominic Thiem. His next Grand Slam final was at the 2024 French Open, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev lost the Australian Open 2025 finals to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, in straight sets. Sinner, the three-time Grand Slam champion, could be seen consoling and embracing the German on his heartbreaking third Grand Slam final defeat.
In this very vulnerable moment, Zverev dealt with the heckler who had brought up his past resolved allegations with poise and calmness. He did not react at the moment, but the German called the woman out at the Australian Open press conference.