After Alexander Zverev's domestic abuse heckling controversy at Australian Open, tennis insider shares disturbing details

The 2025 Australian Open final featured little drama on the courts, as Jannik Sinner bested Alexander Zverev without any problems with a score of 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3. There was plenty of drama, most of which wasn't even known to the people attending the final in person. During the trophy ceremony, right before Zverev was about to speak, a woman was heard shouting.

Tennis insider Ben Rothenberg, who was present in the stands, set out to find the person who shouted, eventually locating her in apparent distress. He later detailed the events in his Substack, describing what happened once security arrived on the scene.

"An aggressive security guard, however, came between us and told me to back away. He told me to stop typing on my phone, and then repeatedly asked me to move further and further away from this woman, continually telling me to move further back meter by meter. He asked me repeatedly to leave the entrance area and return to the seating bowl, but I wanted to keep the woman in my eyeline until I knew what her fate would be. He also photographed my accreditation as well as the accreditation of another journalist who arrived a few minutes later." - Rothenberg in his bounces substack

The rather harrowing standoff was interrupted by the police, who arrived a couple of minutes later. Rothenberg shared the details of what happened after that as well.

"A few minutes later, two uniformed police officers arrived and spoke to the woman. After a few minutes of conversation, they gave her paperwork and escorted her out of the arena. As she was leaving she told me her name, and that she was being “evicted” from the premises."

Rothenberg further shared that he told the woman to message him, to which she agreed. However, by the time he shared the story, no contact was established. Neither Tennis Australia nor the police agreed to comment on the matter when asked by the journalist.

Alexander Zverev responds to Australian Open 2025 heckling

Zverev looks towards the heckler

After the match, Zverev didn't really want to talk about it, dismissing the question from a reporter.

“I believe there are no more accusations. There haven't been for, what, nine months now? Good for her. I think she was the only one in the stadium who believed anything in that moment. If that's the case, good for her. I think I've done everything I can, and I'm not about to open that subject again.”

Zverev has put all of that behind him. He wasn't suspended from the ATP after a third-party investigation on behalf of the ATP. The same journalist, Ben Rothenberg, who was one of the few journalists to actually speak with the victims, reported that the investigation never contacted either of the victims, enraging many fans. Zverev has continuously refused to open the topic again.