Tennis player Fiona Ferro returned to the US Open after accusing her former coach of sexual assault
A year ago, tennis player Fiona Ferro accused her former coach, Pierre Bouteyre, of rape shortly after she was eliminated from the U.S. Open qualifying round. Ferro left the circuit for a few months after sharing her tale in public, and even though the case is still pending, she went back to Flushing Meadows on Monday to compete in the main draw of the Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2021.
Ferro, a French wild card entry who was defeated 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round by two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka, claimed she has not engaged a new personal coach. Instead, she is working with a coach from the French Tennis Federation, Eric Winogradsky, among a group of approximately a dozen other players.
Ferro stated on Monday, "I wasn't really feeling ready to dive into a fresh project with a coach, 1-to-1. It was difficult for me to be by myself with just one instructor, therefore I think I needed to be in a group with other players.
"I think the vacation was truly what I needed because so many things were going on at once. I had to deal with some difficult situations with the lawsuit," admitted the 26-year-old Ferro, who has reached the fourth round of the 2020 French Open and has a career-high ranking of No. 39. "After that, I resumed training at the federation."
When writing about her accusation against Bouteyre on social media last year, Ferro stated, "I did not consent."
She was only one of many female tennis players who raised awareness about the need to shield athletes from predatory coaches. At the end of 2022, the WTA, the women's tennis tour, hired Lindsay Brandon as director of safeguarding. Brandon is an attorney whose previous clients include athletes who have contested doping suspensions.
"My case is still pending, so I can't really talk about it at this time. However, the (French) federation is on my side in this. They give you a coach. And I believe I can communicate with them and be understood. So that's a key aspect for me," Ferro remarked.