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Alexander Zverev got very blunt when answering questions related to his upcoming trial in Germany, ripping journalists for being on the story for "clicks" rather than delivering "the actual truth."
In the summer, Brenda Patea - Zverev's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child - accused the German tennis star of physically abusing her. In October, a Berlin court issued a penalty order against Zverev and fined him €450k.
Zverev's lawyers called the court's decision "scandalous" and contested the ruling. On Monday, German media reported that Zverev's trial will start on May 31st.
On Tuesday, Zverev kicked off his Australian Open campaign with a hard-fought 4-6 6-3 7-6 (3) 6-3 win over Dominik Koepfer. In what was a very short press conference afterward, Zverev was asked questions related to his upcoming trial.
When asked if was appropriate for him to continue with his position on the ATP Players Council while dealing with these accusations, Zverev bluntly responded: “Why would it not be?”
When told that there is a question mark about his judgment, Zverev issued another blunt response: “There isn't."
Zverev rips journalists being in on the story for 'clicks'
When asked if fellow ATP players were confident in him conducting his role on the ATP Player Council, Zverev said: “Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think so. Nobody has said anything to me. I don't have a reason not to believe that."
In the last question, Zverev was asked to address come claiming that he should not be allowed to play, let alone be in a position to have a say in certain decisions on the ATP Tour.
“Like who? Journalists are saying that, some, who are actually interested more in this story to write about and more about the clicks than the actual truth," Zverev said.
Meanwhile, Zverev will be battling against Lukas Klein for a place in the Australian Open third round.