The Women's Tennis Association is investigating allegations of misconduct against Rafael Font de Mora, the coach of American player Peyton Stearns, following complaints from former player Pam Shriver and an anonymous ex-pro. The concerns, raised during the 2026 Australian Open, center on Font de Mora's past relationships and coaching methods with young players. Shriver, a longtime advocate for player safety, filed reports with the WTA and U.S. Center for SafeSport after spotting him in Melbourne.
Rafael Font de Mora, 57, recently returned to the WTA Tour as the full-time coach for 24-year-old Peyton Stearns, world No. 68, after she parted ways with Blaz Kavcic in late 2025. Stearns reached the third round of singles at the Australian Open before losing to Amanda Anisimova and exited doubles alongside Hailey Baptiste. Font de Mora has known Stearns since she was 10 and began occasional coaching when she was 12 at his academy in Glendale, Arizona.
Pam Shriver, a 22-time Grand Slam doubles champion and abuse survivor herself, encountered Font de Mora at a Melbourne tournament hotel and promptly reported him to the WTA's director of safeguarding, Lindsay Brandon. Her complaint focuses on his early 1990s-2000s relationship with Meghann Shaughnessy, who began training with him at age 13 and moved into his Phoenix home at 14, while he was 25. They became engaged when she was 19 but never married, ending in 2005. Font de Mora insists the relationship was platonic until Shaughnessy turned 18. However, her parents objected, leading to family estrangement, and U.S. Tennis Association concerns over its inappropriateness influenced a decision to withhold funding.
Shaughnessy has not alleged wrongdoing and declined further comment beyond confirming no marriage occurred. A second anonymous former player, who worked with Font de Mora early in her career, accused him of aggressive, physically and verbally abusive behavior, including swearing, hitting balls at her, and coercive control like limiting family contact and extreme training sessions. A third player corroborated these claims, describing diet control that led to an eating disorder, punitive sprints in harsh weather, and manipulative tactics swinging between abuse and generosity. Another ex-player, Anna-Lena Groenefeld, once called herself his 'possession' after an acrimonious split in 2006.
In 2022, Font de Mora coached Kylie McKenzie, sending her a document outlining payment options that her attorney viewed as a blackmail threat referencing her USTA settlement. The WTA treats such reports confidentially, with potential penalties including bans, as seen in the 2025 suspension of Stefano Vukov. Shriver called for tennis to address abuse as seriously as doping or corruption: "When will pro tennis treat anti-abuse with the same seriousness, investment, and conviction as anti-corruption and anti-doping? It’s time."
Font de Mora denied the allegations via email: "Your questions are statements that are not true. I coordinate my training and sprints with professional trainers and biomechanist(s) and I am a very positive coach." He suggested contacting Stearns and her trainer Kathryn Whartenby for insight. Stearns praised his focus on controllables like attitude amid wind: "That’s been huge because it’s not about the results." Asked about his history, she said, "Yeah, I mean, it’s been around... no comment."
The investigation continues as the tour emphasizes safeguarding, amid calls for better vetting like UK DBS checks.
