Dominic Thiem questioned about allegations against tennis player Alexander Zverev

Written by Staff Writer, CNN

The ATP is investigating whether top-ranked Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem violated its code of conduct after he was asked at a press conference in London on Friday about the allegations made against compatriot Alexander Zverev.

Zverev sparked a Twitter storm last month when he told an Italian newspaper he’d never engaged in “meaningful” relationships with women in his life after receiving his ATP 1000 level doubles title at the Paris Masters.

Zverev, 22, later claimed the comments were “exaggerated” but admitted to a conversation that got “out of hand” and “started off on the wrong foot.”

Separately, Thiem’s father Dominik made allegations against the 2016 Wimbledon semi-finalist, claiming he’d committed domestic abuse against his sister.

Asked at a press conference on Friday in London about whether he would do the same again in the light of his sister’s claims against Zverev, Thiem responded: “No, I am not going to speak about this. I won’t make a big deal out of it.

“Even if I read a certain article, I am going to respect that they said it for what it is.”

Zverev has also remained silent on the matter, although he said last month he intends to move on from the controversy that dominated tennis’ talk in October.

While AFP claimed the Russian tennis star Serena Williams has also received threats, the tournament organizers have denied that.

The tournament said in a statement: “Following ATP rules, the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) can enter its knowledge of these allegations into its database of matches, and could open a formal investigation, in which an independent referee would hear and adjudicate the matter.

“The TIU shares its TIU personnel with the police, who are responsible for receiving and investigating all such matters of crime, and if someone is arrested they are typically taken to a police station. There have been occasions, however, when a FIFA or UEFA police matter has been considered at the national or international level, leading to charges in some cases.”

Williams, 36, has been married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian since 2014, and confirmed in January 2016 that she was expecting her first child. She was granted US citizenship in September.

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