SUMMARY
- Sara Maria Popa's revelations expose the Mouratoglou Academy's culture of introducing young athletes to substances.
- In an interview, Popa details how athletes as young as 12 are given substances which are without anti-doping scrutiny.
Amidst the backdrop of renowned players gracing its courts, the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy finds itself embroiled in controversy yet again. This time, it was sparked by shocking revelations from a Romanian fellow player of Simona Halep’s.
Following in the footsteps of Simona Halep, Sara Maria Popa, another rising star and compatriot of the two-time singles Grand Slam champion, has come forward with startling disclosures about the academy. Popa’s candid interview sheds light on practices within the academy, suggesting a culture where young athletes are exposed to substances from a tender age.
In her exclusive interview with AS.ro, Popa delved into the details of her experience at the academy, revealing how the prospect of taking these substances without proper understanding initially took her aback. She expressed, “I was 12 years old. I played at the Mouratoglou Academy…from an early age, athletes are given some substances. In juniors, Anti-doping doesn’t control you.”
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Sara Maria Popa further narrated the modus operandi at the academy, stating, “Players and parents must agree. They are given a sheet and must sign to agree to take that substance.” Popa also revealed how scared and confused she felt the first time she encountered this situation because of her unfamiliarity with anti-doping procedures.
Popa’s revelations have painted a troubling picture of the academy’s operations, alleging that athletes as young as 12 are introduced to substances as they are not under the scrutiny of anti-doping controls. As the tennis world grapples with these shocking disclosures, questions arise about the responsibility of coaching institutes like the Mouratoglou Academy to safeguard the well-being and integrity of young athletes.
Patrick Miuratoglou, the famous French coach and director of Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, admitted to his role in Simona Halep’s doping controversy. Mouratoglou acknowledged that his team provided Halep with a collagen supplement that she claims led to her testing positive for the banned substance Roxadustat after the 2022 US Open.
Mouratoglou expressed his sense of accountability, stating, “There is no way to know it, but I feel responsible for what happened because it’s my team, so basically me, who brought her this collagen.” He had started working with Halep only six months before her positive test.
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Throughout the controversy, Mouratoglou has maintained a strong stance of sympathy and support for Simona Halep. Stating her plight, the renowned coach expressed, “This is terrible because you are completely innocent, your reputation is impacted…your name has to do with doping even though you didn’t do any doping.”
Simona Halep also faced a second anti-doping violation related to apparent irregularities in her athlete’s biological passport. Subsequently, she was handed a four-year ban, for which she is currently appealing.