Roger Federer under attack for deafening silence

Roger Federer’s reputation as tennis’ shiniest star took a hit after comments he made about serious allegations didn’t go down well.

Roger Federer has come under fire for his answers to questions about allegations of domestic abuse levelled at fellow tennis star Alexander Zverev.

Zverev’s ex-girlfriend Olya Sharypova alleged last year the world No. 7 had been abusive towards her — accusations the German strongly denied, labelling them “unfounded” and “simply not true”.

Earlier this year, Zverev parted ways with Team8 — the sports management company Federer co-founded with long-time agent Tony Godsick. The 23-year-old said at the time he was leaving Federer’s stable so he could “go back to the roots” and have his family take on an increased role in his career.

Journalist Ben Rothenberg asked Federer ahead of his first-round match in Geneva last week whether the split had anything to do with the allegations against Zverev, and Federer was keen to steer clear of his rival’s personal affairs.

He said he “doesn’t get involved in those types of decisions”, claimed it was “in the past now” and didn’t want to comment on another player’s “super private stuff”. Federer added he didn’t feel comfortable addressing the topic and wasn’t keen to “bring this subject up”.

Tennis broadcaster Catherine Whitaker was “hugely disappointed” when she read Federer’s responses, questioning why he didn’t at the very least say domestic violence is abhorrent.

“My heart really sank,” Whitaker told The Tennis Podcast. “I wasn’t expecting him to say anything that really stood up for a viewpoint on it all, but I was expecting him to have better prepared an answer than that.

“To just awkwardly say, ‘I’m not comfortable talking about it’ — look, none of us are comfortable talking this, we’d far rather be talking about something more joyful. This does not make us feel comfortable. Some things in life are uncomfortable.

“The fact that he didn’t say, ‘Domestic abuse is wrong and horrible’ — I mean, it’s the least controversial thing you could possibly say.

“He’s always somebody that’s tiptoed around controversy. It is not controversial to say, ‘I condemn domestic abuse’. It’s so basic and so few people are saying it when they’re asked about this matter, and that is distressing.”

Federer doesn’t wade into controversy too often.

Zverev has emphatically denied the accusations.

Tennis analyst Matt Roberts said he was “shocked” by how Federer appeared to be caught off-guard by the questions about Zverev, considering it was the first time journalists had the opportunity to ask him about the matter.

Commentator and The Tennis Podcast co-host David Law agreed, saying he expected more from the 20-time grand slam champion.

“He (Federer) could have said that (domestic violence is terrible) while still acknowledging, in the same answer, what Alexander Zverev has said all along, that he denies the allegations,” Law said. “He could still have said … that he condemns any form of domestic violence or abuse.

“I suspect that he would say, ‘That goes without saying, of course I condemn it’ and I’m sure he does, of course that’s how he feels.

“But there is a value in saying it and the biggest surprise to me is … he sounded as though he was taken aback by the questions and I’m trying to work out why that would be, because he hasn’t been questioned about if before.

“A long time has gone past since those allegations were first raised and really he should have had a very clear understanding of, ‘If I get asked this, this is what I’m going to say’.

“I wonder whether he thought maybe so much time has passed, nobody will bother asking me now and put it to the back of his mind.”