Rafael Font de Mora is dealing with allegations of misconduct and inappropriate relationships.
Rafael Font de Mora has been teaching at this yr’s Australian Open (Picture: Getty)
A tennis coach is being investigated by the WTA Tour over allegations of misconduct and inappropriate relationships, based on reviews. Rafael Font de Mora, the topic of these complaints, not too long ago returned to the tour after an absence of a number of years. He’s at present working with Peyton Stearns, who was knocked out of the Australian Open by Amanda Anisimova within the third spherical.
Two former WTA gamers have lodged official complaints about Font de Mora to the physique’s director of safeguarding, based on The Athletic. One of many complainants was former Grand Slam doubles champion Pam Shriver, who raised issues about Font de Mora’s relationship with one other participant he coached within the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s, beginning when she was 13 years outdated.
The participant in query, Meghann Shaughnessy, separated herself from her household to maneuver into Font de Mora’s home alongside different gamers when she was 14 and he was 25. They turned engaged when she was 19.
Shriver, in the meantime, was beforehand in a relationship together with her former coach Don Sweet when he was 50 and he or she was simply 17. She has since claimed that the connection, which lasted 5 years, was sexually and emotionally abusive.
Now aged 63, she noticed the connection between Font de Mora and Shaughnessy in her position as a TV pundit following her retirement from tennis.
Font de Mora has mentioned that his relationship with Shaughnessy was strictly platonic till she turned 18. Shaughnessy has not alleged any wrongdoing and has confirmed their engagement didn’t lead to marriage.
Shriver’s grievance to the WTA Tour didn’t add any new data to what was already recognized about Shaughnessy and Font de Mora’s relationship.
Font de Mora has denied any wrongdoing in response to the complaints (Picture: GETTY)
One other grievance from a participant who requested anonymity was in relation to his alleged conduct throughout his time as her coach.
The participant claimed that Font de Mora displayed aggressive, bodily and verbally abusive behaviour in the direction of her, together with swearing in her face and hitting balls aggressively in her route.
Font de Mora has strenuously denied any wrongdoing, whereas Stearns spoke extremely about him when quizzed on their teaching partnership earlier this month.
In an e mail to The Athletic, during which he copied civil legal professional Karen Moskowitz, he mentioned: “Your questions are statements that aren’t true. I coordinate my coaching and sprints with skilled trainers and biomechanist(s) and I’m a really optimistic coach.”
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In an interview final week, Font de Mora mentioned that he couldn’t touch upon the complaints to the WTA Tour as a result of he had not heard about them.
He added he has recognized Stearns since she was round 10 and has offered recommendation and occasional teaching since then. He now works together with her on a full-time foundation and can journey on the WTA Tour all through the 2026 season.
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