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Andrey Rublev has incurred the displeasure of tennis fans after calling Alexander Zverev his "best friend." Rublev's comments came after he defeated Zverev at the 2023 Swedish Open.
Zverev has found himself in another assault controversy. The former World No. 2 has been accused of causing "bodily harm" to his ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea, who is also the mother of his daughter Mayla. Berlin's public prosecutor's office is now seeking a penalty order against Zverev.
In 2020, Alexander Zverev was accused of physical and emotional assault by his then ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova. However, the ATP dropped its investigation earlier this year and stated that Zverev could not be punished as there wasn't enough evidence.
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Andrey Rublev, 25, went up against Zverev in the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open on Friday. In just over an hour, the Russian beat the former US Open finalist 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals.
Following his win, Rublev said:
"To play your best friend is always tough. Win or lose, it's a s*it feeling".
However, several fans were disappointed by Rublev's statement and reacted to it on social media. One fan criticized him for choosing an "abuser" as his best friend:
"Bro choose a whole abuser over Daniil and Karen LMFAO, is this your King?"
Others, including the one below, also questioned Rublev's choice of friendship.
"Wonder if @AndreyRublev97 has any concerns about his best friends actions," the fan wrote.
Some joked about what conversations Andrey Rublev would have with Alexander Zverev, given that the latter has been accused of assault a couple of times.
"I wonder what he asks his best friend about."
Below are a few more fan reactions:
Andrey Rublev, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, will take on Francisco Cerundolo in the semifinals of the Swedish Open.
Alexander Zverev's ex-girlfriend Brenda Patea denies making financial claims in new assault allegations
Alexander Zverev's former girlfriend Brenda Patea has clarified that she hasn't made any financial claims against the German tennis pro.
Patea, who gave birth to Zverev's child in 2021, recently stated that she hasn't filed any financial complaints against the three-time French Open semifinalist.
She posted a story on her Instagram informing her followers about the recent allegations against Zverev.
"In this regard, we state that the public prosecutor responsible informed us today that he has applied for a penal order to be issued against Mr. Zverev on the basis of the allegation of bodily harm to the detriment of Ms. Patea. We would also like to clarify that Ms. Patea has not made any financial claim against Mr. Zverev," Brenda Patea's Instagram story read.
Retired tennis player Martina Navratilova has urged for further investigation into the assault allegations filed against Alexander Zverev.
