Alexander Zverev is facing domestic abuse claims, is snapping at reporters and the Australian Open won’t risk tweeting about him… but now he’s in the quarter-finals the dark cloud over the tournament can’t be ignored

The Australian Open appears to be keeping its distance from the upcoming trial against Alexander Zverev, refusing to comment on the allegations, as the German recorded a narrow victory over Cameron Norrie on Monday.

Zverev, who overtook Norrie in a five-set thriller to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, has been accused of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea and will stand trial in May, the Berlin criminal court confirmed last week.

According to the court statement, the reigning Olympic champion is accused of “physically assaulting a woman and damaging her health during an argument.” Him too is accused of choking her against a wall just days before proposing.

During Zverev’s four-hour epic against the British No. 1 in Melbourne, tournament officials, post-match interviewers and broadcasters refused to comment on the allegations or the trial.

After the match, as has been the case throughout the tournament, Zverev enjoyed a light-hearted interview in front of the Margaret Court Arena crowd – and was only asked about Norrie’s performance, his father’s birthday and the significance of his formidable return to the service.

The German star got past courageous British number 1 Cameron Norrie, who lost in the final tiebreak

Zverev will go on trial in May on domestic violence charges, charges he denies. The 26-year-old athlete allegedly strangled his ex-partner (above) just days before proposing to her

Meanwhile, the official social media channel of the Australian Open on

The 26-year-old tennis star, who denies the claims, was given an injunction by the court and fined €450,000 (£385,000) in October last year.

In Germany, criminal warrants are issued for minor crimes when a judge believes the case is simple and therefore does not need to go to trial. To maintain his denial of the charges and maintain the presumption of innocence, Zverev challenged the order – which is why he is now being tried.

Lisa Jani, a spokesperson for the court, revealed that Zverev may not have to appear in court in person unless the judge orders the German to testify. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, although prison time is considered “highly unlikely” due to the nature of the sentence.

Zverev’s lawyers, Schertz Bergmann, described the proceedings as “scandalous” and emphasized that “there can be no question of a fair trial.”

Zverev will face Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight of the tournament

Zverev’s lawyers have reportedly worked hard to quash media reports about the trial and claims

After winning in the first round, Zverev snapped back at a reporter after he brought up his allegations of domestic violence. He also lost patience in November for the same reason

According to the German newspaper, his legal representatives have also worked hard to quash media reports about the trial and accusations DW.

A German newspaper called Suddeutsche Zeitung was forced to remove an article of theirs that featured an interview with Zverev’s former partner because it was proven by the law firm that the story exceeded “the limits of permissible suspicious reporting.”

To make matters worse for Zverev, his trial may coincide with the French Open, which will take place in May and June.

In the weeks leading up to the Australian Open, the ATP revealed that the German would become the newest member of their Players Council, a body voted on by players around the tennis world.

Although it has happened only occasionally this tournament, Zverev has given reporters a curt and short-tempered response when questioned about the accusations he faced – and whether he deserved a place on the ATP Players’ Council.

After his first-round win over Dominik Koepfer, the 26-year-old snapped back at a reporter when asked if he should play at all.

“Yes, some journalists say that, those who are actually more interested in this story to write about and get clicks than the actual truth,” Zverev replied.

The tennis star also called the punishment order complete nonsense at a press conference in November.

Zverev snapped back at reporters, saying: “Anyone with a semi-standard IQ knows what this is all about.”

During his post-match interview in front of the crowd, Zverev was asked about Norrie’s performance, his father’s birthday and the significance of his formidable return of service.

It has been a theme for the Australian Open organizers, who have not taken the risk of addressing the claims

Meanwhile, all athletes asked about Zverev’s situation at the Australian Open have declined to comment.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was knocked out in the fourth round by American Taylor Fritz, declined to comment on Zverev’s allegations when asked.

The Greek avoided the question and said: ‘I am completely unfamiliar with it. I have nothing to say about it.’

Norrie echoed Tsitsipas’ response by dodging the question ahead of his five-set thriller against the German, insisting it was “difficult to comment” on the trial due to his limited understanding of the case and its details .

For now, the Australian Open is choosing to turn a blind eye to Zverev’s trial and will not risk tweeting or posting about it on social media. But now that the German is one of eight men’s singles players still in the competition, the dark cloud cannot be ignored for much longer.