Alexander Zverev says he will no longer discuss the accusations of domestic violence against him after he was heckled by an anti-domestic violence protester in the aftermath of his defeat to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Australian Open.

Zverev had been standing on the on-court podium to give his runner-up speech when a woman in the crowd shouted: “Australia believes Olya and Brenda,” three times. Zverev remained silent for 30 seconds before beginning his speech. The woman was eventually detained by security inside Rod Laver Arena and removed from the stadium.

Zverev has been accused of physical abuse by two former partners, Olya Sharypova and Brenda Patea. He denies the accusations. During his subsequent press conference, the German said: “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.”

Sharypova alleged in 2020 that Zverev repeatedly physically abused her during their relationship. After an independent investigation into Sharypova’s accusations, initiated by Lake Forest Group, the ATP took no disciplinary action against Zverev.

Last year, Zverev faced a public hearing after contesting the penalty order imposed on him by the Tiergarten district court in Berlin, in which prosecutors accused Zverev of physically harming and damaging the health of Patea, who is also the mother of their child. The court was told by the prosecutor that “after a heated argument” in Berlin, Zverev allegedly pushed Patea against a wall and strangled her with both hands.

Zverev denied the accusations and his defence lawyer, Alfred Dierlamm, described them as “unfounded and contradictory”. A week after the hearing began and during the second week of the French Open, the two parties settled the case. Under the agreed terms of the settlement, Zverev paid a fee of €200,000 (£170,000), with €150,000 going to the state and €50,000 to charitable organisations. The case was officially declared “no verdict” and the settlement was struck with no acknowledgement of guilt from Zverev.

Zverev lost 3-6, 6-7 (4), 3-6 to Sinner in Melbourne on Sunday to prolong the 27-year-old’s wait for a first grand slam title.