With skeletons tumbling out of the closets, it raises new Questions on whether or not the Affiliation of Tennis Professionals (ATP) bungled its dealing with of these allegations, two of which have been said to have taken place at ATP event web websites. Now, Milo Raonic has slammed the tennis group’s misdealing with of the events, and raised Questions on whether or not its failure to take them critically is doing damage to The sport at huge.
Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic says he’s “embarrassed and disapleveled” Inside the governing physique’s lack of response to bodily abuse allegations in the direction of superstar Alexander Zverev, who faces Novak Djokovic Inside the U.S. Open. https://t.co/XskI6q56RH
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) September 10, 2021
“I’m embarrassed and disapleveled Inside the ATP and The completely different governing our bodies’ response to This event,” Canadian star Milos Raonic, a former Prime 3 participant On the earth, tells journal Rolling Stone.
The background
Zverev’s ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova, first accused him of abuse in an October 2020 interview with Russian internet website Championat. She went on to element her allegations in the direction of Zverev to reporter Ben Rothenberg in a pair of tales revealed by Racquet and Slate.
She said she suffered each emovemental abuse and a quantity of circumstances of bodily violence. She claimed that Zverev slammed her head Proper into a wall, and — the placeas in Ny for the U.S. Open in 2019 — suffocated her with a pillow. Sharypova furtherly said Zverev had punched her Inside the face, choked her, and shoved her, leaving her with bruises on her face and arm, she informed Slate.
Alexander Zverev, of Germany, reacts after defeating Lloyd Harris, of South Africa, By way of the US Open quarter-finals. (AP)
The abuse escalated Tons, she finally was pushed to self-harm, injecting herself with insulin — an act that she knew might fatally decrease her blood sugar. (“I simply needed To go away Indirectly,” Sharypova said On the time, “as a Outcome of I can’t stand it anyextra.”)
On Oct. 28, 2020, Sharypova posted An picture of herself to Instagram. The caption, written in her native Russian, said, “I even have been crushed And Will not be silent anyextra.” She wrote that she was a sufferer of home violence however didn’t decide any perpetrator. She named Zverev in an interview later that day with the Russian internet website Championat.
ATP’s stance
The ATP had put out A press launch that didn’t level out Sharypova, Zverev, or any particulars about her accusation. “The ATP absolutely condemns any Sort of violence or abuse,” the assertion started. “We anticipate all members of the Tour to do The identical, and to chorus from any conduct That is violent, abusive, or places completely differents In hazard.”
The ATP added that It’d think about responding to an allegation if and when a authorized persevering with had run its course. “In circumstances the place allegations of violence or abuse are made in the direction of any member of the Tour, authorized authorities examine and due course of is utilized, we then consider The Outcome and decide The relevant Plan of movement,” the ATP’s assertion concluded. “In any other case, We’re unable to remark further on particular allegations.”
Zverev’s response
In A press launch posted to Twitter final month, the tennis star “categorically and unequivocally” denied abusing Sharypova, including that he “absolutely assist[s] the creation of an ATP home violence coverage.”
Talking to Rolling Stone, Milo Raonic said, “I felt like they have been Barely bit hush-hush Regarding the complete factor, and simply ready for it to move.”
For his half, Raonic says, On the very least, there Ought to be extra of a public recognition of the accusations in the direction of Zverev Inside the media safety of the U.S. Open. “A minimal of it Ought to be acknowledged,” he says of Zverev. “I don’t know if it has been.”