MELBOURNE, Australia — Following Alexander Zverev’s defeat at the Australian Open final on Sunday, an individual in the audience shouted out the names of two of the tennis player’s former girlfriends, both of whom have publicly accused him of physical abuse. The shouted phrase, “Australia believes” them, was echoed three times while Zverev stood at the microphone preparing for the trophy presentation. The incident was met with boos and whistles from other spectators inside the Rod Laver Arena.

During the subsequent news conference, Zverev, a 27-year-old from Germany, was prompted to respond to the disruption that occurred during the ceremony. He remarked, “I believe there are no more accusations. There haven’t been for — what? — nine months now. … I think I’ve done everything I can, and I’m not about to open that subject again.”

Last June, on the same day Zverev reached the French Open final, news broke from Berlin about a district court wrapping up a case related to a woman’s accusation of domestic violence that stemmed from an argument in 2020. This conclusion was reached following an agreement between state prosecutors and Zverev’s legal team, along with his former partner’s representatives.

Additionally, Zverev has previously dismissed assault allegations made by another woman. This led the men’s professional tennis tour to conduct an investigation into her claims. In January 2023, the ATP released a statement indicating that the evidence was not sufficient to support the allegations.