A former tennis star has come forward with a harrowing account of the sexual abuse she endured as a child at the hands of her coach. Angelique Cauchy, a French prodigy, testified that she was raped three times a day by her coach, Andrew Gueddes, starting from the age of 12. She described the experience as being trapped "in prison" and has estimated that she was abused around 200 times per year. The abuse came to light after Gueddes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting four girls aged between 12 and 17.
Coach's misconduct ignored by tennis club
Cauchy, now 36 and working as a PE teacher and tennis coach, has revealed that her complaints about Gueddes' behavior were ignored by the Sarcelles Tennis Club. Despite knowing about his misconduct with young girls, the club's president chose to overlook the complaints because of Gueddes' success as a coach. Cauchy testified about the abuse and the club's disregard for the victims at the Palais Bourbon, part of the French National Assembly, last week.
Trapped in a cycle of abuse
Cauchy opened up about her traumatic experiences during a 15-day training camp in La Baule, West France, where Gueddes' predatory behavior was inescapable. The abuse was so severe that Cauchy considered taking her own life to end the ordeal. Gueddes also blackmailed her into believing she had contracted AIDS from him. Cauchy describes feeling trapped and powerless, living with the constant fear and trauma of the abuse. She recalled how she was forced to stay in the place where the abuse occurred and was tormented by the 13 steps that separated her from his room.
A wider problem in the tennis world
This is not an isolated incident in the tennis world. In April 2022, former tennis champion Pam Shriver spoke out about her "traumatic" and "inappropriate" relationship with her coach. Last September, Pierre Bouteyre, the former coach of French tennis player Fiona Ferro, was charged with raping and sexually assaulting her during her teenage years. Bouteyre denies the claims and insists that their relationship was a "true love story."
The revelations from these brave survivors highlight the urgent need for accountability and the protection of young athletes from predators in the sports industry.
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