In May 2024 Alexander Zverev will have to face two major battles, one on the tennis court and the other in the courtroom.
In November, the German tennis star was accused of physically abusing his ex-girlfriend. After charges were made, Zverev was fined and issued a punishment order.
Due to the fact that Zverev has objected to the order, he is still legally innocent and will not be found guilty until a final decision is made.
The Tokyo Olympic Champion informed the media during an ATP event in Paris in November that he planned to argue against the suspension. "I'm not going to comment on [the case] to be honest because there is a procedure still to come.”
The date of the much anticipated public trial was announced by Berlin's Tiergarten district court on Monday. The court will meet on May 31 to begin the case, and then on June 7, 11, 18 and 21. On July 5, 12, and 19th the court will meet again.
One of the four Grand Slams, happening in the capital of France, where Zverev in each of the previous three years has advanced to the semifinals, will start on 26th of May and will last until June 9th. After Rolland Garros, the third Grand Slam of the year, Wimbledon, will take place from July 1–14. After which the Paris Olympics will begin on July 26.
A court spokeswoman told BBC Sport that "the defendant will, in principle, not have to appear in person because it is a hearing after he contested the penalty order." However, he later clarified that while Zverev is not required to attend the hearing, it is "theoretically" possible that the court may request that he show up later in the trial.
The information was released the night before Zverev's Australian Open matchup with fellow German player Dominik Koepfer in Melbourne on Tuesday.
In Germany, a judge may decide to issue a penalty order without holding a trial after reviewing the written evidence. The ability to challenge the penalty order gives the defendant the possibility of a public trial.
Zverev's attorneys insisted that the evidence was rejected as "incomprehensible and contradictory" by a Berlin doctor's forensic medical report when the penalty ruling was announced in November.
The legal company Schertz Bergmann further asserted that "serious procedural violations" had occurred during the proceedings that resulted in the penalty order.
Schertz Bergmann concluded that Zverev will use "all the means at his disposal" to defend the lawsuit.
Edited by Tatyana Kekic
Image - AFP via Getty Images
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