SUMMARY
- Kim Clijsters appeared on the latest episode of Andy Roddick's podcast, and they did not hold back on their criticisms.
- They put the blame on Patrick Mouratoglou for Simona Halep's ordeal.
As Simona Halep awaits the judgment of her doping trial at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), Andy Roddick weighed in on the case. The former American player took shots at Patrick Mouratoglou and his team for Simona’s ordeal. Kim Clijsters joined Roddick on his podcast, and they dissected Mouratoglou’s part in it.
Halep tested positive for Roxadustat after crashing out of the US Open in 2022. There were irregularities in her athlete’s biological passport (ABP) as well. As a consequence, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) handed Halep a four-year ban. Halep maintained her innocence throughout, and even Mouratoglou admitted his role in it, but the admission came too late.
Kim appeared on the latest episode of the ‘Served with Andy Roddick’ podcast. Neither of them held back on their opinions. They pinned the fiasco on Mouratoglou and his team, going so far as to call them ‘red flags.‘ Andy then went on to describe Patrick and his marketing strategy for himself.
Roddick added that Mouratoglou has several photoshoots on his website. He also likened the coach to Puff Daddy, the American rapper, who used to appear in a lot of music videos.
“It’s like, well, you know, this guy who comes in is great at self-promotion. His website, I went on it the other day and it’s like 18 different photo shoots. It’s like a prepackaged situation. I say it’s like Puff Daddy, who used to like, jump into every music video in the 90s. Now, that’s like him and player boxes,” he said.
Andy Roddick referred to Patrick Mouratoglou’s history of coaching several high-profile players. Both Kim and Andy were quite critical of Patrick and his actions during Halep’s trial.
Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters further criticize Patrick Mouratoglou
Simona Halep appealed to the CAS to overturn the ITIA’s decision to ban her for four years. The Romanian player has been the subject of derision from fans and colleagues alike.
Clijsters highlighted how Patrick’s overhaul of Halep’s system did not sit well with her. She believed it was “manipulation” on Patrick’s part. Moreover, Simona alone will have to face the consequences of his team’s actions.
Roddick agreed with Clijsters’ sentiments, adding that if he did something similar, he would take all the blame for it. He further criticized Mouratoglou for engaging on Twitter the same day Halep stood trial. “It just seems like it’s a tough situation when she’s going to court on the same day that he’s releasing top 5 lists on Twitter for servers,” he said.
Andy Roddick’s interview with Kim Clijsters shed light on a lot of important issues plaguing modern tennis. Simona Halep’s situation will set a precedent for the changes that need to happen.
