- Zverev progressed to the French Open semi-finals after a straight sets victory
- Footage shows the German change his call after learning the coin toss outcome
- World no 4 is contesting a domestic abuse charge but will not attend in person
Tennis fans have dug up footage of Alexander Zverev lying during the coin toss ahead of his French Open quarter-final against Alex De Minaur on Wednesday.
The world no 4 prevailed against his Australian opponent on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros but the win was no without incident following a controversial opening.
Ahead of every match both players await the results of a coin toss to decide who will serve the opening game of the encounter. On Wednesday, Zverev changed his call upon discovering the outcome of the lot.
In footage that has been posted on social media, the German star can be seen telling the umpire Damien Dumusois he wished to serve if he won the toss but after retrieving the coin he clearly states his intention to receive.
‘It’s racket,’ he told the official as he presented the evidence. Dumusois then correctly turns to De Minaur before Zverev added: ‘No, I said racket.’
‘You said racket?’ The umpire replied. ‘Yes,’ said Zverev. Before he told his opponent: ‘But if you want to go, you go, heh. I’ll receive.’
One user on X wrote: ‘Zverev lying, scamming and gaslighting…during a coin toss, this time.’
Zverev went on to win the first set 6-4 before ending De Minaur’s fairytale run that had seen him beat Grand Slam winner Daniil Medvedev on his way to becoming the first Australian to reach the last-eight of a major since Lleyton Hewitt two decades ago.
‘I put up a hell of a fight … against a quality opponent,’ the 25-year-old said. ‘[I] had my chances, probably should have taken the second set, and we would have been in for a proper battle.’
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‘I left my heart out there. I did everything I could. It just wasn’t good enough.’
Zverev will face Norwegian Casper Ruud in the semi-final on his quest to claim his maiden major amid his impending hearing for domestic abuse.
The 27-year-old was fined £390,000 by a German court and given a penalty order last year after being accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Brenda Patea. The 27-year-old is contesting the charge and the hearing begins on Friday.
After confirming that he will not be required to attend in person, Zverev was asked ahead of his French Open campaign whether the court date is playing on his mind.
‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I believe in the German system. I believe in the truth, as well. I know what I did, I know what I didn’t do.
‘At the end of the day, that’s what’s going to come out, and I have to trust in 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.’
In May 2020, Patea alleged that the former world No 2 ‘choked her during an argument’ and was a ‘jealous man’.
A statement by his representatives, Schertz Bergmann, called the penalty order fine ‘scandalous’, and hinted that the player would take action ‘using all means possible’.
Patea is thought to have dated Zverev for less than 12 months between 2019 and the birth of their daughter Mayla in 2021.
The German model described a ‘mixture of shame, fear of Zverev’s lawyers, and concern for her child’ as playing a role in why she delayed requesting the court order, but speaking to Süddeutsche Zeitung, Patea said that her decision to speak out has stemmed from a bid to set an example for victims of assault.
Ms Patea claims that during the confrontation, Zverev ‘pushed (her) against the wall and choked her during an argument in the hallway’.
This led to ‘pain in the throat and neck area, and difficulty swallowing’, which she discussed when confiding in two friends after the incident.
Zverev has kept tight-lipped for the most part on the allegations but described the court penalty order placed on him last November as ‘complete bulls***’, before adding: ‘Anybody that has semi-standard IQ levels knows what this is all about.’