Olga Sharypova, the ex-girlfriend of Alexander Zverev who brought forth claims of physical abuse against the German last week, has shed more light on her relationship with the German in an interview with Ben Rothenberg of Racquet Magazine.
Sharypova tells Rothenberg of her origins with Zverev and goes on to give a detailed account of his obsessive and violent behavior.
“We had another fight, and in that fight he punched me in the face for the first time,” she tells Rothenberg. “In other fights he was pushing me, shoving me, twisting my arms, choking me. But this was the first time he punched me, really punched me.”
Sharypova says that even her closest friends didn’t believe her when she tried to tell them of her dire circumstances, and the emotional and physical abuse that she dealt with.
You can read Rothenberg's interview and full account of the story here:
Rothenberg says he viewed phots of bruises to her body and face during their in-person meeting last week in New Jersey.
“At the top are two photos sent by Olga: The first shows dark bruises on her face; the second shows two dark bruises on her arm,” he writes of the pictures.
Zverev has twice denied any allegations, once in a social media statement and again on Wednesday during a press conference in Paris, and Rothenberg even spoke to the German's agency and the ATP tour about Sharapova’s claims, but neither was willing to tell him much.
The 23-year-old was asked to speak about it again after his victory over Adrian Mannarino on Thursday in Paris.
Q. Your former girlfriend has made new allegations today concerning your behavior towards her, in particular two incidents, one at the Laver Cup last year and also at your Monaco apartment. Do you have any response to this? Did these incidents take place?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, as I said before, I think I have said everything on my Instagram. There is nothing more I can say to that. As I said, they are not true, and I hope that -- yeah, as I said, I have said everything.
Sharypova says she seeks no damages, she merely wants to feel right with herself and believes she can help other woman who are suffering similar abuse and who feel they have nobody they can turn to.
“I just want to say that they were ignoring me back then, but now I’m not going to be ignored,” she told Rothenberg. “I’m not nothing. I’m a person, and I have a voice and I can’t be silent anymore.
"It was really hard to start talking about this, but I know that many people are going through maybe not the same situation, but many people are facing the same things with harassment, abuse, bullying, toxic relationships, and they don’t understand what to do. I want to show everybody at the end of the day there can be a good end to the story. Because I didn’t want to live last year, and now I’m sitting with you.”