Pam Shriver cautions women players of relationship with coaches in light of Petra Kvitova marrying her coach Jiri Vanek
Pam Shriver praises Petra Kvitova and Jiri Vanek's relationship amidst advocacy for safeguarding young players from falling in love with their coaches.
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Jiri Vanek and Petra Kvitova, Pam Shriver (Credits: Tennis.com and The Guardian)
Pam Shriver recently called for the ATP and WTA to establish education protection measures after openly discussing her own experience with a toxic coach-player relationship on an edition of ‘The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast’. However, Shriver also shed light on the second aspect as she cited Petra Kvitova and Jiri Vanek‘s relationship as an example of a mature and consensual one that does not cause alarm.
“Kvitova just got married to her longtime coach Jiri Vanek, didn’t she? You know, she’s in her thirties, they’ve known each other the longest. There are times when it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me,” said Shriver.
The relationship between Jiri Vanek, a professional coach, and Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon winner, finally developed into a romantic relationship off the court. They recently got married and made their relationship official.
Shriver’s support for education protection is focused on defending young, impressionable athletes from possible abuse or exploitation in connections with coaches. She thinks that rules and education initiatives should protect young athletes who are still honing their skills and navigating the nuances of the game.
“I am not asking for a general ban on all relationships between players and coaches. Kvitova and Vanek were adults who entered into a consensual relationship. But when the players are young and developing their game, I really have a problem with that,” she explained.
What happened with Pam Shriver?
Pam Shriver revealed in a brave piece she wrote for the Daily Telegraph last year that she had been working with her coach, Don Candy since she was just nine years old. Shriver’s career was significantly shaped by Candy, an Australian, who helped her rise to the top of the sport. Under Candy’s guidance, she made headlines when, as a 16-year-old amateur, she advanced to the US Open final.
When Shriver was 17 years old, their professional relationship, however, took a gravely worrisome turn. She spoke out to Candy, age 50, about her growing love for him, which resulted in the beginning of their romantic connection. Given her advanced age and the stark power disparity between them, Shriver has stated that this relationship was not voluntary.
“I still have conflicted feelings about Don”, Shriver admitted in her letter. “Yes, he and I became involved in a long and inappropriate affair. Yes, he was cheating on his wife. But there was a lot about him that was honest and authentic. And I loved him. Even so, he was the grown-up here,” she wrote.
Shriver clarified that Candy did not sexually assault her, which is important to remember. Her emotional health and ability to build good connections were, however, adversely affected by their unsuitable relationship. It created recurring patterns in her life, such as her attraction to older men and her struggles with setting and upholding boundaries.
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Navya Mishra
(407 Articles Published)