NEW YORK – The sequence is highly unusual: a journalist writes that a tennis star beat up his partner. The tennis player sues the journalist, who launches an online fundraiser to finance his legal defence. The crowdfunding is a success, thanks in part to its biggest donor, a former tennis player who played and lost six times to the accused player.
The tennis player is German, named Alexander Zverev, the journalist is North American, named Ben Rothenberg, and the former tennis player is South African, named Kevin Anderson.
A contributor to the New York Times for more than a decade, Rothenberg launched the campaign on the gofundme platform with the goal of raising 22,000 dollars, enough to cover the costs of the appeal in the case, which will take place in December in a German court, and what he would have to pay the athlete if he loses.
In 2021, the current No. 4-ranked player sued Rothenberg for defamation after the North American published in the online media Racquet and Slate the testimony of Olya Sharypova, the German’s ex-girlfriend, who alleged acts of violence by Zverev when the two were a couple between 2019 and 2020. The German always denied them.
The campaign far exceeded the money requested and everything in excess of the trial costs will be donated to House of Ruth, a foundation for survivors of domestic violence. In the event that the appeal goes in Rothenberg’s favour and Zverev has to bear the costs, the entire amount received will go to the charity.
Thanks to the folks reaching out with words of support regarding my still ongoing legal battle with Zverev over my reporting from 2020, I really do appreciate it tons.
If you are able to support my crowdfunding efforts in this case, the link is here:https://t.co/jclYajPBDq
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 27, 2024
The name of the 2017 US Open finalist appeared on the list of more than 450 patrons with the largest donation. South African Anderson, who lost to Rafael Nadal in New York that year, donated $1,000 with his wife Kelsey. Within minutes of making the donation, the couple changed their name to ‘Anonymous’.
In Germany as well as in several European countries, media laws are much more favourable to plaintiffs. In the United States it is different. There, freedom of speech is enshrined in the Constitution itself and by law, and public figures face a higher hurdle when it comes to filing defamation lawsuits.
“It’s been dispiriting,” Rothenberg told The Washington Post. “I don’t regret any of it … but it certainly has not made life easier.” The journalist had to cover the costs of the legal process after losing the support of Racquet, the first media outlet he published in (the publication was recently taken down from the website). That’s why he decided to launch the fundraising campaign, which he announced just as the US Open kicked off.
The journalist’s lawyer, Jan Hegemann, told the Washington Post that he believes the appeal has a good chance of success.
