Coco Gauff applauded Fiona Ferro's courage for speaking publicly about a personal issue that has turned the spotlight on exploitative coach-player relationships.
Ferro, 25, who was ranked 39 last year, accused her ex-coach Pierre Bouteyre of rape in a social media statement last week. According to an AFP report Bouteyre has been charged with rape and sexual assault. The alleged assaults happened between 2012 and 2015 when Bouteyre worked as her private coach.
His lawyers responded to the allegations saying that while Bouteyre 'recognized the relationship', he denied 'any coercion'. "It takes a lot of courage to speak out about something so personal," the 18-year-old Gauff said, adding, "speaking out creates more awareness."
"The coaching relationship in tennis I feel is different than in other sports," said Gauff. "It's a lot more personal. I want to say kudos to her for speaking out about it. I always say you never know what somebody else is going through. I hope that her message reaches somebody who might have gone through the same situation."
Ferro, who played the US Open qualifiers in New York, is presently ranked No. 259.
