WATCH: Zverev's Australian Open Runner-Up Speech Protested Over Domestic Violence History
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Alexander Zverev's runner-up speech after the 2025 Australian Open took a controversial turn after it was protested by one of the fans.
The 27-year-old German player played in his third Grand Slam final. Like on the previous two occasions, he once again left the court empty-handed, or in the case of major finals, with a runner-up trophy.
His opponent, Jannik Sinner, was an overwhelmingly better player, beating Zverev in three sets. It was a disappointing loss for the ATP World No. 2 player, who once again came close to a Grand Slam title but not close enough.
After the match, he was visibly disappointed by losing the final, and even Sinner confronted him. Moments later, Zverev stood on the podium, collecting his runner-up trophy.
After that, he was ready to deliver his speech, but that was halted by one of the fans, who started shouting: "Australia Believes Olya and Brenda! Australia Believes Olya and Brenda!"
Olya and Brenda are Zverev's ex-partners, who both accused him of domestic violence. Olga Sharypova, nicknamed Olya, accused Zverev of abuse in an interview with Ben Rothenberg in October 2020.
Three years later, another of Zverev's ex-girlfriends and the mother of his child, Brenda Patea, accused him of harming her as well.
The second case also went to the court, and Zverev was ordered to pay 450,000€ in October 2023. However, in June 2024, that penalty was terminated, as the German player agreed to pay 200,000€ after the settlement was reached out of court.
The person persistently continued shouting until they were likely stopped by the security. Once the stadium was quiet, Zverev took a moment, a he was not sure how to react to the situation.
The crowd at the Rod Laver Arena booed the person shouting and then also applauded as Zverev stood on the podium, searching for words.
The 27-year-old player likely considered whether he should address the situation or not. Eventually, he has decided to ignore it, and speak about the final itself.
"It sucks standing next to this thing and not being able to touch it. Congrats to Jannik. You’re the best player in the world by far. I was hoping I could be more competitive today. You’re just too good. You really deserve it. Congrats to your team as well. There’s no one that deserves this trophy more."
Zverev was also a bit critical of himself during the speech, making the crowd laugh, likely completely forgetting what happened only a few moments earlier.
"We're trying to do all the right work, I’m just not good enough. It’s as simple as that. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to lift the trophy. But I’ll keep coming back. I’ll keep trying."
At the moment, it remains to be seen whether Zverev, the Australian Open organizers, or the ATP somehow address this situation, as protesting a player at a tournament is something that rarely happens.
