Swift rehabilitation of Alexander Zverev’s Australian Open image after domestic assault allegations

Last summer, crowds gave Alexander Zverev frosty receptions in the face of allegations of domestic abuse. This year, ED BOURKE writes, tennis has been “very, very kind” to his reputation.

Novak Djokovic says he “deserves” a maiden grand slam title, but tennis owes nothing to Alexander Zverev.

And you could say the record Melbourne Park crowds deserve a blockbuster men’s final between the top-two ranked players in the world, but segments of that Rod Laver Arena crowd are also owed nothing after the embarrassing send-off given to Djokovic on Friday.

So maybe that is why the Australian Open finds itself cursed with what is on paper the best possible final match-up, but in reality one which will be coloured by the recent off-court controversies that have dogged both players.

In any other year, a reigning champion awaiting a hearing over doping violations would not have the crowd on his side in an Australian Open final.

The tennis world has been ‘very, very kind’ to Alexander Zverev this Australian Open. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

Especially not against a star of the tour yet to taste success at a major – this is all catnip to Australian sporting fans who love an underdog.

Zverev, 27, has undergone such a swift rehabilitation of his image that many who sit in the stands on Sunday night will be oblivious to what hung over his head when he arrived in Melbourne for last year’s tournament.

As he ran to the 2024 semi-final before being ousted by Daniil Medvedev in five sets, Zverev was awaiting trial to contest a penalty order over allegations of domestic abuse against his former partner and mother of his child.

He strenuously denied all allegations against him and settled the case out of court with no admission of guilt in June last year.

The tennis world was very, very kind to the German as the saga unfolded.

He got a free ride in last year’s second season of Netflix’s “Break Point” documentary, with an episode focused solely on his recovery from a severe 2022 ankle injury and no mention of the allegations that swirled around him.

Alexander Zverev has dodged discussion around domestic assault allegations after the case was settled out of court. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

Commentators never veered away from referring to him affectionately by his nickname, “Sascha”, and after his quarter-final win this week, on-court interviewer Jim Courier encouraged him to speak at length about the “secret handshake” he shares with his partner.

Putting the all-too-easy rehabilitation of his image to one side, Zverev enters the final likely in the best physical shape of his life.

Quarter-final opponent Tommy Paul piled pressure on him to serve for the first two sets, but the German was able to break back in both before he coolly fired off repeat winners to claim the tie-breaks 7-1 and 7-0.

World TV feed commentators John Fitzgerald and Mark Petchey have implored the 198cm star to venture to the net more against the game’s best and use his imposing frame, but Zverev is set to stick to what he knows against Sinner after he dismantled the ultra-aggressive Ben Shelton in an anticlimactic straight sets match on Friday night.

Germany's Alexander Zverev. Picture: Martin Keep/AFP.

“Ben is going to serve at 240km/h … Jannik is going to return that serve like it’s coming at (him) like a butterfly,” was Zverev’s astute prediction before the match.

Sinner is 23 and still improving, according to his coaches, so this might be Zverev’s best chance to beat him in a grand slam final.

The Italian champion, whose current title bid comes under the shadow of a WADA appeal after he escaped a doping sanction, mercilessly crushed de Minaur and Shelton, but could start to feel the effects of pushing on through illness against Holger Rune in the fourth round.

Before he went off for a medical time-out, Sinner’s complexion almost matched the sickly yellow “Limoncello” kit he has donned this tournament.

But ever since he re-emerged from the tunnel midway through the second set, he has looked indestructible.