Milos Raonic told Rolling Stone he is "embarrassed and disappointed" in the ATP and the sport's other governing bodies for what he feels was an inadequate response to domestic violence allegations that were made against Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev.
Zverev's former partner, Olga Sharypova, first made the allegations last October and gave more detailed accounts in interviews with Racquet Magazine in November and then with Slate on Aug. 25. Sharypova alleged that she suffered physical and emotional abuse during her yearlong relationship with Zverev, including two incidents she said happened in hotels during ATP tournaments.
Zverev, in a statement posted on Twitter on Aug. 27, said he "categorically and unequivocally" denied the allegations.
Raonic, a 2016 Wimbledon finalist and former No. 3-ranked player in the world, said the ATP should be doing more to get involved "to protect the sport."
"I felt like they were a little bit hush-hush about the whole thing, and just waiting for it to pass," Raonic told Rolling Stone in an interview that was published Friday.
He added: "At least it should be acknowledged. I don't know if it has been."
Sharypova alleged that Zverev suffocated her with a pillow while they were at the Lotte New York Palace during the 2019 US Open. She also alleged that he punched and choked her in separate incidents, leaving her with bruises on her face and arms.
No criminal charges have been filed against Zverev.
Raonic said the ATP should assume greater responsibility in investigating the allegations against Zverev because its own rulebook includes a policy against abuse. The tour's rulebook states that "players shall not at any time physically abuse any official, opponent, spectator or other person within the precincts of the tournament site."
"It's in our rulebook," Raonic told Rolling Stone. "There have been other events that have happened at tournament hotels where the ATP has responded by looking into it, and at those times they felt it was necessary to respond with some level of punishment."
On Aug. 21, shortly before the Slate interview with Sharypova was published, the ATP announced it would be reviewing its safeguarding policies, which it said is expected to include recommendations pertaining to domestic violence.
Zverev said at a news conference before the US Open that he is in favor of such a policy.
"It's going to get sorted in these kind of situations," he said. "I think it's good that the ATP is kind of renewing their rules a little bit because they've been there since the '80s and nothing has been changed in a way."
Zverev fell in five sets to No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic in the US Open semifinals Friday night.