Kim Clijsters admits she was “surprised” by Francisco Roig’s conduct when he decided to drop Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard for Iga Swiatek.
Following his split from Emma Raducanu after this year’s Australian Open, Roig started working with Perricard at the beginning of March, but a month later he swapped the Frenchman for six-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek confirmed her decision to part ways with Wim Fissette on 23 March following her early exit from the Miami Open and a few days later Roig’s name was mentioned as a possible replacement.
The announcement that the Spaniard – who coached the great Rafael Nadal during his peak – would replace Fissette was made on 2 April and two days later a disappointed Perricard slammed Roig during an interview with L’Equipe over the way he handled the situation, saying: “It was my agent who informed me. He didn’t tell me directly. I trusted his word, what he could bring to the table.
“To throw all that away so quickly seems like a shame to me. Then, it’s a tough, ruthless world.”
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During the latest episode of the Love All podcast, co-host Blair Henley stated: “He [Roig] has had quite a year, he split with Emma Raducanu at the end of January, gets hired by Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
“He was with him for a month-ish and then we hear the announcement about a week ago that he has joined Iga’s team and Mpetshi Perricard went on the record and said ‘Yeah, he didn’t tell me [he was leaving]. He told my agent, he didn’t tell me directly.
“And he used the term, I’m sure it was translated, it’s a ‘ruthless world’.”
Former world No 1 Clijsters replied: “That’s unbelievable.
“It is [tough for Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard] and to me, a little bit surprising, to hear it happened like that.
“I think that everything that’s attached to Rafa [Nadal], you set a very high standard, so it was surprising to hear that there was maybe no [discussion]… unless maybe he missed something! I don’t know, if there was no conversation, that’s understandably disappointing from his side.”
The four-time Grand Slam winner added: “There is a little bit of common sense and respect, even if it is hard news that you have to bring, to kind of just sit down, even if you’re in different parts of the world, but yeah… It is what it is, the world keeps turning.”
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