NEW YORK (AP) — An expert tennis participant from France who reached a career-high rating of No. 39 final 12 months has accused her former coach of rape and sexual assault.
The French Tennis Federation stated in a press release Saturday that it’s “standing by” Fiona Ferro, a 25-year-old who misplaced in qualifying on the U.S. Open final week, “within the proceedings she has initiated towards her former coach, Pierre Bouteyre.”
The federation added that it “is inspecting the potential of submitting a civil lawsuit on this case.”
Ferro wrote on social media about her accusation towards Bouteyre and stated, “I didn’t consent.”
“I’ve full confidence within the justice system of my nation and ensure that I don’t want to make another assertion on the felony investigation,” Ferro stated.
The Related Press usually doesn’t determine individuals who say they’ve been sexually assaulted until they arrive ahead publicly, which Ferro has executed.
Ferro is the most recent feminine tennis participant to convey consideration to the problem of defending athletes from predatory coaches.
“We applaud Fiona for having the braveness to come back ahead with these allegations. We’re happy to see a full investigation and authorized course of being pursued,” a WTA spokesperson stated through an emailed assertion on Saturday. “The WTA is devoted to making sure a secure setting throughout our tour. Safeguarding requires vigilance, and we’re persevering with to put money into training, coaching, and assets to enhance our efforts.”
After profitable her third-round match on the U.S. Open on Saturday, two-time Australian Open champion Viktoria Azarenka was requested concerning the manipulation and exploitation of younger gamers by coaches.
She stated the WTA participant council, of which she’s a member, considers safeguarding a “No. 1 topic … as a result of we see these susceptible younger girls that (are) getting taken benefit of in several conditions.”
Mentioning Ferro, Azarenka stated: “I applaud her for being courageous. I hope this example, she’s going to come back out of it stronger and tennis isn’t ruined for her due to that. That’s, I believe, a really, very heavy subject. Nevertheless it’s the subject that has to come back out extra.”
In March, a tennis participant held a information convention after suing the U.S. Tennis Affiliation, saying the governing physique failed to guard her from a coach who she says sexually abused her at certainly one of its coaching facilities when she was 19.
Kylie McKenzie stated that coach Anibal Aranda touched her inappropriately on the USTA’s coaching heart in Orlando, Florida, in accordance with a lawsuit filed in federal courtroom in central Florida. The lawsuit says Aranda, who was employed by the USTA for about seven years and later fired, used his place as a USTA coach to get entry to susceptible feminine athletes.
In April, former tennis participant Pam Shriver, now a TV commentator, revealed in a first-person account printed by British newspaper The Telegraph that she “had an inappropriate and damaging relationship with my a lot older coach” that started when she was 17 and he was 50.
After phrase of Ferro’s accusation emerged, Shriver tweeted: “Sending my greatest assist to Fiona Ferro. One of the simplest ways to enhance safeguarding, is to inform our tales.”
Ferro has two profession titles and reached the fourth spherical of the 2020 French Open for the perfect Grand Slam exhibiting of her profession. She is ranked 259th at present.
“We want to categorical our assist for Fiona Ferro, whereas respecting the presumption of innocence, at a time that we all know is especially tough for her,” stated Gilles Moretton, president of the French federation. “The FFT’s sports activities integrity unit is at present aiding her and we are going to do the whole lot we will to assist her rebuild her life.”
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Extra AP protection of U.S. Open tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/us-open-tennis-championships and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
