Alexander Zverev after Paris Masters defeat and serious abuse allegations: 'I'm smiling brightly'

ByEurosport

Updated 09/11/2020 at 11:25 GMT

Alexander Zverev has said he is still "smiling brightly" after he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Paris Masters and following further allegations of serious domestic violence from his former girlfriend Olya Sharypova. Medvedev won 5-7 6-4 6-1 in the Paris final on Sunday. Zverev has denied the accusations.

Alexander Zverev has insisted that "everything is great in my life" despite his former girlfriend, Olya Sharypova, having said days earlier that she attempted suicide following an alleged incident between the two during the Laver Cup in Geneva last year.

The German, who lost to Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Paris Masters on Sunday, spoke after the match about "people trying to wipe a smile off my face".

Sharypova made her latest accusations in an extensive interview with Racquet Magazine in which she said that she attempted to kill herself in Geneva last year after being "punched in the face".

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• Medvedev beats Zverev in Paris to claim third Masters title
• Sharypova makes further abuse allegations against Zverev, says she attempted suicide

She previously alleged that the US Open finalist tried to choke her with a pillow before the 2019 US Open and hit her head against the wall.

Zverev issued a statement on social media soon after calling the allegations “unfounded” and "simply not true" and repeated his denial during a post-match press conference at the Paris Masters on Wednesday.

After Sunday's final, Zverev said: "I know that there's gonna be a lot of people that right now are trying to wipe a smile off my face but under this mask I'm smiling brightly.

I feel incredible on court [...] everything is great in my life. The people who are trying can keep trying.

Olga Sharypova, girlfriend of Alexander Zverev of Germany, watches him play his Men's singles Semifinals match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in 2019

Image credit: Getty Images

Zverev's comments come days after Sharypova's interview with Racquet Magazine, where she made further allegations of serious domestic violence.

"I already don’t want to live. I already don’t understand what I’m living for. Whatever happened in Geneva, it was worse than anything that came before," Sharypova said in the interview.

We had another fight, and in that fight he punched me in the face for the first time. In other fights he was pushing me, shoving me, twisting my arms, choking me. But this was the first time he punched me, really punched me.

"After this fight he left the room, and I was dying. I was emotionally dying. I didn’t understand everything in my life. I couldn’t understand why I was dealing with this, and why he’s not leaving me, why this keeps happening.

"I understand that I can’t live like this anymore. I understand that I can’t be with this person anymore, but he can’t leave me. I knew he wouldn’t let me go."

Journalist Ben Rothenberg, who conducted the interview, said: "I’d love to hear Zverev’s side, and tried to get it. Zverev was approached days ago and presented a detailed rundown of all the new allegations contained in this story. He declined to directly address any of those allegations, as he has repeatedly before and after."

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