22-time Grand Slam doubles champion Pam Shriver says she had an “inappropriate and damaging relationship” with her coach that began when she was a teenager and has warned similar scenarios are commonplace in tennis.
In an article for the Daily Telegraph published on Wednesday, Shriver, who is now 59 and a respected broadcaster, says she began working with Don Candy when she was nine. The Australian was her coach as she began her rise to the top of the game, eventually reaching the US Open final as a 16-year-old amateur. When she was 17, she told 50-year-old Candy that she was falling in love with him and they were having an affair.
“I still have conflicting feelings about Don,” Shriver writes. “Yes, he and I became involved in a long and improper affair. Yes, he cheated on his wife. But there was a lot about him that was honest and authentic. And I loved him. Still, he was the adult here. He should have been the trusted adult. In another world, he would have found a way to keep things professional. Only after the therapy did I feel a little less responsible. Now I finally realize that what happened weighs on him.”
Shriver says Candy, who died in 2020, did not sexually abuse her, but the relationship “impaired my ability to form normal relationships and establish certain patterns that would repeat: my continued attraction to older men and my difficulty understanding how.” to maintain healthy boundaries”. .
Shriver believes her story is far from unique. “I think abusive coaching relationships in sport as a whole are frighteningly common,” she says. “However, my particular expertise lies in tennis, where I have witnessed dozens of instances in my four and a half decades as a player and commentator. Every time I hear about a player dating their coach, or see a male physical therapist working on a female body in the gym, my alarm bells go off.”
Shriver said the relationship, particularly her guilt towards Candy’s wife Elaine, had a negative impact on her game. The relationship ended when she found a new coach, although she remained in touch with Candy as an advisor.
Athlete abuse has become a prominent issue in recent years. Shriver suggests a few ways tennis could be tackling the problem.
“As far as there are solutions, I don’t have all the answers. I think it’s possible to educate young athletes, but you probably have to start before they even hit puberty: maybe 11, 12 or 13. By the time they go on the big tennis tour, a lot of patterns are already set,” she says.
“And then there are the coaches. The best way to protect your charges is to put them through a reconnaissance process before they arrive on tour. The same goes for other qualification holders: physical therapists, fitness trainers and so on. It must be said very clearly: these types of relationships are not appropriate and there will be consequences for those who cross the line.”