• Former coach of French tennis player Fiona Ferro charged with assaulting her as a teenager.
• Ferro has won two WTA titles and achieved a career-high ranking of 39th in March 2021.
• She is currently ranked 259th in the world.

On Wednesday, judicial authorities announced that the former coach of French tennis player Fiona Ferro has been accused of abusing and physically assaulting her while she was a teenager. The incidents allegedly occurred when Ferro was under the supervision of her former coach.

Her attorney, Isabelle Colombani, told that Ferro, who is 25 years old, has accused Pierre Bouteyre, who is 50 years old, of abusing and physically assaulting her between the years 2012 and 2015.

According to Ferro’s attorney, Bouteyre served as Ferro’s private coach and travelled with her to competitions, many of which took place outside of the country.

Bouteyre has been charged with “r**e of a minor by a person having authority over the victim” and “s**ual assault of a minor over the age of 15 by a person having authority over the victim”, prosecutor Patrice Camberou said.

Bouteyre, who was also the coach of French tennis player Alize Cornet, “recognises the relationship occurred but denies any coercion, it was a love story according to him”, his lawyer Virginie Pin told.

Ferro, who was born in Belgium, has won two WTA titles and achieved a career-high ranking of 39th in March 2021. However, she is currently ranked 259th in the world.

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