World No. 2, Alexander Zverev, was confronted with past domestic abuse allegations following his loss in the Australian Open final on Sunday. After being defeated by Jannik Sinner, Zverev approached the Rod Laver Arena, where a fan shouted the names of two of his former partners who have accused the tennis star of physical abuse.

Zverev, who has denied the accusations, stayed silent as the heckler yelled, “Australia believes” in the two women’s claims. The crowd responded with boos, quickly followed by applause that drowned out the heckler before Zverev began his post-match speech.

In the press conference, Zverev addressed the incident, stating that he did not want to revisit the matter. “There are no more accusations. There haven’t been any for, what, nine months now?” he said. “Good for (the heckler). She was the only one in the stadium who believed anything in that moment. If that’s the case, good for her. I’ve done everything I can, and I’m not going to reopen that discussion.”

In 2020, Zverev’s ex-girlfriend accused him of attacking her ahead of a 2019 ATP Master 1000 event, an allegation the tennis player has denied. In 2021, the ATP conducted an investigation but found no evidence of abuse, taking no action.

In June 2024, Zverev and another former partner, with whom he has a child, reached a settlement over an alleged assault case without admitting guilt. The case involved accusations of physical abuse during an argument in Berlin in May 2020. In October 2023, Zverev was fined €450,000 ($478,000), though he appealed and the fine was reduced to €200,000. His lawyers maintained that he agreed to the settlement for the sake of their child and emphasized his innocence.

Zverev's loss in the Australian Open final marks his third defeat in a Grand Slam final. While he has yet to secure a major title, he won gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.