Alexander Zverev capped off a career-best season by winning the 2026 US Open on September 13, defeating Ben Shelton in a four-set final for his second Grand Slam title of the year, following his victory at Roland Garros in June.
FC Bayern Munich, of which Zverev has long been a vocal fan and occasional shirt-wearer at matches, marked the achievement in two separate ways within the same week.
First, the club featured him in the promotional video for their new 2026-27 Oktoberfest kit, released September 14.
Then, that same day, Bayern’s official X account posted a direct congratulatory message: “Congratulations on your US Open victory, Alex Zverev!” alongside a photo of him in Bayern colors, trophy and tennis ball emojis included.
The post quickly drew backlash because of Hamburg-born tennis star’s history of domestic abuse allegations from two former partners.
Olga Sharypova, who dated Zverev in 2019, alleged multiple instances of physical abuse, including an incident at the Laver Cup in Geneva that she said led her to attempt suicide by injecting insulin; Zverev denied the claims, and an ATP-commissioned investigation, opened in 2021, closed in January 2023 citing insufficient evidence, with no disciplinary action taken.
Separately, Brenda Patea, the mother of Zverev’s daughter, accused him of causing bodily harm during an argument in Berlin in 2020.
That case resulted in a penalty order and a fine reported at nearly £400,000, with a trial scheduled after Zverev appealed. He has denied her allegations as well.
he abused the mother of his child so bad she tried to commit suicide using his insulin. she is one of two women he has abused that the public knows of. Don’t celebrate nor support him. https://t.co/8gxPCcVl4m https://t.co/Flrt42Et4A
— 🪽 (@kyidle) September 14, 2026
The timing added fuel to the criticism with one widely shared reply to Bayern’s post included a screenshot of the club’s own past campaign, lighting the Allianz Arena orange on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, in partnership with the “Zonta Says No” initiative.
The user’s message was blunt: “You should all go f**k yourselves @FCBayern.” Other replies made similar points more directly, with one writing, “he abused the mother of his child so bad she tried to commit suicide using his insulin. She is one of two women he has abused that the public knows of. Don’t celebrate nor support him,” linking to further reporting on the allegations.
never light the stadium orange ever again 👍🏼 https://t.co/9YjzO3Dfy5
— risa. (@bavarianlore) September 14, 2026
Bayern has not issued any follow-up statement addressing the criticism as of now.
The club’s relationship with Zverev predates this moment by years, he has attended matches at the Allianz Arena, worn Bayern kits courtside at tournaments, and been publicly embraced by players including Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry. Whether that relationship continues without comment, or Bayern responds to the backlash directly, remains to be seen.
