Alexander Zverev confirms upcoming fatherhood; denies abuse allegation

A day after a pair of ex-girlfriends went public with two very different revelations, Alexander Zverev responded with a statement on social media to address each claim.

On Wednesday, Brenda Patea announced she was 20 weeks pregnant with Zverev’s child. In a translated interview, the 27-year-old told Bild, “frankly, I don’t plan to share custody of my child with him. But I will do everything to ensure that (the child grows) up in a harmonious and proper environment. I have the chance to raise my child alone.”

Patea stated, “We don’t have any communication with Alex right now,” though in his response, Zverev asserted, “Even though Brenda and I are no longer together, we have a good relationship and I will live up to my responsibility as a father. Together we will take care of the little person that is about to grow.

“I am very much looking forward to the child.”

Shortly after Patea’s news broke, Olga Sharypova shared on Instagram that she was the victim of abuse during an encounter last year in New York. Zverev was not named in the post, but in an interview with ChampionAT, Sharypova confirmed the alleged incident came at the hands of the former ATP Finals champion. In her recounting, Sharypova said her late arrival with Dasha Medvedeva, wife of Daniil Medvedev, preceded the confrontation.

“Sascha got angry because of this. When I got home, we had a fight. Our quarrels always took place from scratch,” the translation read. “I wrote on Instagram that he tried to strangle me with a pillow, twisted his arms. I tried to run out of the room several times, but he would not let me. I was afraid that someone might see and hear us. But in the end I managed to break free, and I ran off barefoot with one phone on a string.”

Zverev denied any wrongdoing, calling them “unfounded accusations.”

“They make me very sad. We have known each other since we were children and shared many experiences together,” he wrote. “I very much regret that she makes such statements. Because the accusations are simply not true. We had a relationship, but it ended a long time ago.”

The world No. 7 is coming off a sweep of ATP 250 titles in Cologne and is due to return to court next week at the Rolex Paris Masters.