Zverev confident legal battle won’t impact French Open performance: "No chance I am losing"

Alexander Zverev has stated that his domestic violence case will not affect his tennis performance at French Open and believes there is no chance he will lose the trial. The world No. 4 and recent Rome Open champion is set to face German justice after the prosecutor requested sanctions for allegedly assaulting his ex-partner Brenda Patea, who is also the mother of his child.

The prosecutor's office indicated in January that there was sufficient evidence to suspect a crime. A proposal was made to avoid trial, which would have required Zverev to admit guilt and pay a fine close to half a million euros, but the German tennis player has maintained his innocence.

The 26-year-old player chose to go to trial instead of reaching a financial settlement and admitting guilt he denies. Eight hearing dates are scheduled until July, but Zverev is not required to attend personally.

The former world No. 2 faced similar allegations from his 2020 girlfriend, Olga Sharipova, who claimed 'Sascha' was violent with her during the 2019 Shanghai Masters, which Zverev has always denied.

There were recent speculations that Zverev might need to travel to Germany during the French Open, but that will not be necessary. The prosecutor's office has not revealed the complainant's name, but Zverev's defenders confirmed in October that it is his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea.

When asked if the hearings could affect his focus during the second Grand Slam of the year, Zverev responded: "Not at all. At the end of the day, I do believe in the German system. I do believe in the truth. I have to be certain that, you know, I know what I did, I know what I didn't do. That's, at the end of the day, what's going to come out, and I have to trust in that."

"Everything else is out of my hands. Not out of my hands, but I do believe that 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. Winning Rome is a big title, as well, and obviously being here. And if it would be on my mind, I wouldn't be playing the way I am."

Zverev will debut at the French Open against 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal. There are doubts regarding Nadal's physical condition, as he faces one of the Tour’s in-form players following Zverev's Rome Open title, his 6th Masters 1000.