(Berlin) Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev will be tried in Berlin at the end of May for an alleged assault, but he will not have to appear in court in person, German news agency DPA reported on Monday .
Aged 26, Zverev participates in the Australian Open this week. He is accused of attacking a woman during an argument in Berlin in May 2020. Zverev has denied the accusation.
A Berlin court issued an order in October, ordering Zverev to pay fines amounting to 450,000 euros ($662,000), but the player contested the decision, meaning the case went to court instead . Criminal orders are used in Germany as a way to resolve certain criminal cases without going to trial, if the suspect does not contest the order.
DPA reported that Zverev’s trial would begin on May 31, during the French Open tournament. The news agency, however, cited a court spokesperson, who indicated that the tennis player would not need to appear in person and that he could be represented by a lawyer.
The ATP Tour ruled last January that Zverev would not face disciplinary action, after its own investigation into domestic violence allegations against him found “insufficient evidence” to corroborate the allegations.
Zverev was a finalist at the 2020 U.S. Open and won the men’s singles gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. On Tuesday, he will face fellow German Dominik Koepfer in the first round at Melbourne.