Alexander Zverev's defiant message amid ex's abuse allegations

Alexander Zverev has once again been forced to answer ugly questions about domestic abuse allegations levelled against him by a former girlfriend.

The German insists he's "still smiling" at a "great" time in his life, despite the disturbing claims and the fact he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the Paris Masters final.

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The 23-year-old's former girlfriend Olga Sharypova recently alleged that Zverev tried to "strangle" her before last year's US Open.

Sharypova also revealed that she tried to commit suicide after claiming Zverev physically assaulted her in a hotel room in Geneva.

Zverev is adamant that the claims made against him were "unfounded" and made him "very sad".

The German issued another defiant response to the disturbing saga after his 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 defeat to Medvedev in the Paris Masters final.

"I know that right now there are a lot of people who will be trying to wipe a smile off my face, but I'm still smiling under this mask," Zverev said.

"Everything's great on the court and off the court. Everything is great in my life, I'm going to be a father soon...

"Those who are trying (to wipe a smile off his face) can keep trying but I'm still smiling, you just can't see under the mask."

Sharypova did not initially name Zverev in her Instagram post about the alleged abuse, but later confirmed to Russian media that she was referring to her fellow 23-year-old.

Sharypova claimed also that her head was hit against a wall and that she was forced to flee a hotel barefoot.

Zverev said earlier this week for a second time that the accusations by Sharypova were "untrue".

"I'm enjoying my time on court. I have said everything. They are not true, and there is nothing more I can say right now," he said on Wednesday.

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"We will see how it goes with London," Zverev added. "I'm happy with my tennis. I just need to maybe recover a little bit physically...

"I was tired (against Medvedev). At the end of the second set I was tired. I was dead. The third set was always going to be very difficult for me."

Medvedev claimed the Paris Masters title in a come-from-behind win that ended Zverev's fine run of form.

Germany's Zverev - winner of back-to-back titles at indoor hard court events in Cologne last month - edged the first set before Medvedev fought back to win in two hours and seven minutes.

The Russian said: "I'm really happy with the final, with the win here, especially my level of game was really top level this week. I think it's not easy for guys to play against me when I play like this.

"Today was a really tight match. And I need to say after the first set I didn't know actually what to do, because I had zero break points.

"I didn't feel good returning his serve. He serves amazing. I was feeling like the match could slip (out) of my hands.

"I managed to stay really strong, be there all the time. I got four break points at one-all in the second, and (then I was) putting pressure on him all the time, raising my level step by step, and finally he broke."

Zverev, who defeated Rafael Nadal in the semis, admitted he was "dead" in terms of tiredness at the end of the second set.

"The third set was always going to be very difficult for me," he said.

"I knew that I had to win in two sets, and once I lost the second set I knew it was going to be difficult, especially against him who is not somebody who is very wild.

"You know, he's very composed. He's going to make you run for every point."

The 2020 US Open runner-up was playing this week for the first time since his ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova accused him of serious physical assault, which Zverev described on social media as "unfounded accusations" and "simply untrue".

with AAP

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