Alexander Zverev has begun strong at the US Open with a first-round victory. But as usual, his off-court drama has once again bled into his on-court life. The domestic violence case that a journalist brought to light against the German player in 2020 is still part of an ongoing saga among the fans, it seems, even though a German court has dropped the case after Zverev’s partner opted for an off-the-court settlement. Now Nick Kyrgios has stepped onto the scene with an interesting reaction.

Known for his bold commentary on any and every issue in the tennis world, Kyrgios has given a comparatively lukewarm reaction this time. Ben Rothenberg, the journalist who reported on the story, has been involved in a legal battle with Zverev for the last four years. Originally, the journalist’s publisher ‘Racquet’ had been supporting him financially, but ever since Rothenberg went to a rival publisher for the second half of the story, they’ve rescinded their support.

Nevertheless, Zverev’s case against Racquet, Slate, and Rothenberg continues. When a fan posted about the news claiming the journalist had been reporting on ‘unproven allegations,’ Kyrgios reacted to the post with just emojis, “👀👀🫣🫣”

Something to note here is perhaps that when the 2024 French Open was going on, a German court was discussing the case. The charges were ultimately dropped against Zverev, as his ex-partner opted for an off-the-court settlement, with the only caveat that Zverev had to pay fines of 150,000 euros ($162,000) to the state and 50,000 euros ($54,000) to charitable organizations.

Now Kyrgios is no stranger to commenting on ongoing controversies in the sport. The latest one was of course Jannik Sinner’s alleged doping controversy, where he failed a drug test not once but twice. A negligible amount of Clostebol was found in the Italian’s blood during Indian Wells, but this news only came to light recently.

Much like the rest of the community, Kyrgios questioned the tennis authorities’ surprisingly quick action when it came to top players. However, reacting to a tweet related to Zverev’s case today, the Australian wasn’t quite so vocal and responded only with emojis. While the German player’s case might have been settled, Rothenberg’s story continues.

Ben Rothenberg asks for financial help as legal battle with Alexander Zverev continues

The last four years have not been easy for Ben Rothenberg, who plans to look for an alternative career once the dust on this matter settles. “Journalism,” he said, “just doesn’t seem like a very steady ground to be building any sort of future in.”

As his resources get drained, the journalist has requested donations from his well-wishers on GoFundMe to help him cover the legal fees, which he says will be around 18,000 euros, or around $USD 20,000. Rothenberg has said that if he wins the case, which is set to return to court in December, he will donate the money to House of Ruth, a domestic violence shelter in Washington.

But at this point, does he regret any of it? “It’s been dispiriting,” the journalist said. “I don’t regret any of it … but it certainly has not made life easier.” Will this case finally be settled in December? Or carry on till next year? Only time will tell.