- Crypto exchange Bitpanda partners with tennis world No. 2 Alexander Zverev
- The choice could draw scrutiny given abuse allegations against Zverev and crypto’s gender equity issues
Bitpanda, an Austrian crypto exchange, just hired German tennis star Alexander Zverev to serve as a “global ambassador.”
Zverev, ranked second in the world, is an Olympic gold medalist and has twice been a runner-up at tennis’ most prestigious tournaments, known as Grand Slams.
His hiring is sure to boost the profile of the 10-year-old crypto exchange. But it could provide fodder for critics of the industry’s deep gender divide.
Past girlfriends
Two of Zverev’s past girlfriends have accused the 27-year-old athlete of abuse, and one took her allegation to German police. In June, Zverev settled that case out of court.
Bitpanda and representatives for Zverev at Berk Communications, a US-based communications firm, did not return DL News’ requests for comment on Tuesday.
His hiring comes at a time when the crypto industry grapples with a sexual abuse scandal.
A woman, who goes by Hana, accused a partner at crypto market making firm DWF Labs of drugging her at a bar in Hong Kong. DWF fired the partner, Eugene Ng.
Hana, told DL News she wanted to raise awareness about the culture of harassment that plagues women in finance, tech, and crypto.
Brenda Patea, Zverev’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his daughter, accused the tennis player of pushing her against a wall and choking her in 2020, according to The Athletic.
Those allegations came to light last year, when the Berlin public prosecutor’s office applied for a so-called penalty order to be issued against Zverev.
Allegations
In German law, a prosecutor can apply for a penalty order when he or she believes a case is simple and there is compelling evidence in favour of the accusation, The Guardian reported.
“I completely reject the allegations,” Zverev said at the time, according to a report from the Associated Press.
But the prosecutor’s application was successful: in October 2023, a German court issued a €450,000 penalty order against the tennis star.
Zverev challenged the order, and the case went to a trial earlier this year.
Both parties agreed to settle the case in June. Zverev paid €200,000 to settle the case, with three-quarters of that sum going to the state treasury and the remainder to nonprofits.
“The decision is not a verdict and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence,” a spokesperson for the court told The Athletic.
Zverev saw it differently.
“That is innocence. They’re not going to drop the case if you’re guilty at the end of the day,” he said after the conclusion of the case. “I never ever want to hear another question about the subject again.”
The Association of Tennis Professionals, the governing body of the men’s tennis tour, paid for an independent investigation that found “insufficient evidence to substantiate published allegations of abuse.”
Aleks Gilbert is a DeFi correspondent based in New York. Have a tip? Contact him at aleks@dlnews.com.