Australian Open protester on why she yelled at Alexander Zverev over abuse allegations

Following the Australian Open men's final, a protester who shouted from the stands at Melbourne Park revealed her reasons for disrupting the post-match awards ceremony. The protester, who identified herself as "Nina" (not her real name), stated in an in-depth interview with independent tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg that she is an avid tennis fan, but she believes the sport is too apathetic towards issues like domestic violence.

Nina shouted "Australia believes Olya and Brenda! Australia believes Olya and Brenda! Australia believes Olya and Brenda!" while men's finalist Alexander Zverev was speaking, protesting the domestic abuse allegations against the German star. Olya Sharypova first made the allegations in a 2020 interview with Rothenberg for Racquet magazine. Sharypova did not file charges with the police or courts, and the ATP stated there was not enough evidence to substantiate the claims.

Brenda Patea made allegations in 2023, which led to an out-of-court settlement in 2024 that did not include an admission of guilt from Zverev nor did it leave a criminal record. Zverev has consistently denied the allegations. Zverev said after the match, "I believe there are no more allegations. It's been nine months, right?" He added, "Good for her [Nina]. I think at that moment, she was the only person in the stadium that believed in that. If that's the case, good for her. I think I've done my best and I'm not going to bring it up again."

Nina stated that she had also watched the women's final the night before and had been hesitant about whether to protest. She said, "I'm a real fan...I believe that I went to five matches before the men's final. I love the sport. I don't like its apathy towards these important topics." The ATP currently does not have a policy specifically addressing domestic violence allegations. Nina said, "I decided to go to the end of the Melbourne sign at match point because I knew where the media seats were. I wanted to be close enough for you to hear me. I wanted Olya and Brenda's names to be heard on that court."

After the protest, Nina said she was escorted out by security, and then police told her she was banned from the venue for 24 hours. Nina recalled, "I said to the police, 'It's such a shame I'm going to miss the matches tomorrow.' He didn't understand." Nina expressed surprise at the attention the protest has generated. She said, "I am glad that Olya and Brenda's stories were re-reported for the first time and highlighted by other media. I am surprised by the impact it has had. It was never for my own attention. I am grateful to my family and friends for their support; they shared some of the positive comments online with me, and I'm happy to see that. I hope Olya and Brenda can also experience and witness the same positivity." The full interview can be read on Rothenberg's website, Bounces.