Alexander Zverev faced questions about his new position on the ATP Players’ Council at the Australian Open after it was announced that the German will appear before a Berlin court on charges of abusing a former girlfriend.
Zverev, who denies the allegations, will face a public trial in May this year after the world No 6 and Olympic champion appealed against a penalty order and a fine of 450,000 euros imposed on him in November.
The 26-year-old was elected onto the ATP Players’ Council, the body that acts as the voice of the players in decisions about the ATP Tour, earlier this month but said after his first-round match at the Australian Open that he saw no reason to stand down ahead of the trial.