Shriver files complaint against tennis coach who was engaged to teen player

Tennis great Pam Shriver has reportedly put in a complaint to the governing body of women’s tennis about the past behaviour of controversial tennis coach Rafael Font de Mora, who was back at the Australian Open this year.

A report in The Athletic said Shriver and another, anonymous ex-player put in complaints about Font de Mora, who is now coaching American Peyton Stearns, to the WTA.

Shriver’s complaint was reportedly about the coach’s relationship with one of his players, Meghann Shaughnessy, in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The anonymous former player, who was coached by Font de Mora, reportedly lodged a separate complaint against him, alleging that he “exhibited aggressive, physically and verbally abusive behaviour”.

They said they reported Font de Mora after learning that he was back on the tour, out of concern for 24-year-old Stearns’ wellbeing, as well as that of other players.

Stearns, who lost to Amanda Anisimova on Saturday in the third round of the Australian Open, spoke highly of Font de Mora earlier in the week.

When asked whether she was familiar with his history on the WTA Tour, the world No.68 said, “Yeah, I mean, it’s been around, but, I think right now, just not really going to dive into that, no comment.”

Shriver has publicly spoken about her five-year affair with her coach Don Candy that started when she was 17 and he was 50.

The now 63-year-old has advocated for tennis’ governing bodies to regulate the relationship between coaches and players to protect the interests, both professional and personal, of young women in her sport.

Shriver posted on X in response to the Athletic article: “When will pro tennis treat anti-abuse with [the] same seriousness, investment and conviction as anti-corruption and anti-doping? It’s time.”

Font de Mora has denied all allegations against him.

The now 57-year-old coached American player Shaughnessy in the 1990s and early 2000s, starting when she was 13.

She left home to move into his house, alongside other players, when she was 14 and he was 25, and they became engaged when she was 19.

Font de Mora said that his relationship with Shaughnessy was platonic until she turned 18, but according to reports from Sports Illustrated magazine, Shaughnessy’s parents had objected to her living with Font de Mora and that the family had become estranged as a result.

The Athletic reported that Shaughnessy had not alleged any wrongdoing by Font de Mora and declined to be interviewed beyond confirming that she and Font de Mora never married.

According to The Athletic, at least two of Font de Mora’s previous players have accused him of aggressive and manipulative behaviour, although the players were not named.

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“Your questions are statements that are not true. I coordinate my training and sprints with professional trainers and biomechanist(s) and I am a very positive coach,” Font de Mora told The Athletic.

The Athletic reported Stearns’ representative, Enric Molina, communicated through tour representatives that Stearns did not wish to be asked specific questions about Font de Mora’s behaviour and past relationships with players.

The WTA said in a statement to this masthead that reports and investigations into alleged violations of its code of conduct and safeguarding code were confidential.

“When the WTA receives such a report, it takes the matter seriously and follows its established rules and procedures in accordance with the WTA Safeguarding Code,” it said.

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