MARCOUSSIS, FRANCE (AP) — French Rugby Federation President Florian Grill on Tuesday addressed allegations of sexual assault and racism against members of the national team on its tour of Argentina, saying the “chain of events is dramatic” for all involved.
Team members Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou were arrested for sexual assault in Buenos Aires on July 9 after a complaint was filed against them in the city of Mendoza, where the French delegation had made a stopover before traveling to Uruguay.
Two days earlier, teammate Melvin Jaminet allegedly made racist comments in a video posted and then deleted on Instagram.
“There will be a before and an after Mendoza,” Grill stated, likening the impact to “a cold shower” and “a hammer on our head,” during a press conference held at the French national rugby center in Marcoussis, in the southern Paris region.
“This chain of events is dramatic for the victim, for the players, and for the image of France as the country is about to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic Games."
Grill declined to comment on the ongoing judicial procedure involving Jegou and Auradou. They allegedly prevented a woman from leaving their hotel room and subjected her to non-consensual sexual acts. Both players denied the violence, claiming the encounter was consensual.
Grill mentioned that the hearing for the two players could happen on Tuesday.
“We are not judges. We fully trust the Argentinian justice,” he said.
Grill also said the French federation had filed a report with the public prosecutor on July 12, following Jaminet's video comments in which he said he would “headbutt” the first Arab he met on the street.
“Racism exists in rugby. We won’t hide behind excuses and pretend it’s not here,” declared Grill.
The president detailed a “zero tolerance” plan for racist behavior in the future that could lead to permanent bans from the French national team for players, fines for players and clubs, and, at the amateur levels, red cards or definitive cancellation of matches.
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Florian Grill, left, head of the French Rugby Federation, and Jean-Marc Lhermet vice-president in charge of high level competitions, attend a press conference, Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in Paris.Florian Grill addressed the two recent incidents involving the national rugby team before a test match against Argentina in Mendoza, about 1,000 kilometers west of Buenos Aires. (AP Photo/Tom Nouvian)
Florian Grill, head of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), reacts during a press conference , Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in Paris. Florian Grill, addressed the two recent incidents involving the national rugby team before a test match against Argentina in Mendoza, about 1,000 kilometers west of Buenos Aires. (AP Photo/Tom Nouvian)
NEW YORK (AP) — Dominic Thiem never heard the unmistakable sounds of the New York crowd when he won the U.S. Open for his lone Grand Slam title.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was nearly empty for his historic comeback on that 2020 night, the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the tournament to be played without fans.
So even though his Grand Slam career ended Monday with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 first-round loss to No. 13 seed Ben Shelton, Thiem said the match was an important moment for him, allowing him to play before a packed house on the court where he had the biggest victory of his career.
“To say thank you to all of you,” Thiem told the fans, “and to make the time up for what we missed four years ago.”
Thiem, who will turn 31 next week, has battled wrist injuries in recent years and had previously announced this would be his final season. He was given a wild card by the U.S. Tennis Association into the tournament for what became just his 10th match of the season.
Thiem beat Alexander Zverev in the 2020 final, winning a fifth-set tiebreaker to become the first man to win the U.S. Open after losing the first two sets since 1949. That was already Thiem's fourth Grand Slam final and there was no reason to think there wouldn't be more.
The Austrian had reached No. 3 in the ATP rankings that March after getting to the Australian Open final, and the year ended with him inside the top 10 for a fifth straight season. He made two French Open finals before that.
But Thiem injured his right wrist in June 2021 and he could never regain the form or the strength on his forehand that had allowed him to go 9-3 against the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The forehand, Thiem said, “never came back like it was before.”
He certainly lacks the power of Shelton, who rode his explosive left-handed serve all the way to the 2023 U.S. Open semifinals — which followed a second-round victory over Thiem.
They shared a nice exchange at the net before Shelton encouraged to the crowd to show its appreciation for Thiem.
“Obviously I have been out here a couple years now, and he’s kind of been in and out playing tournaments and not playing tournaments,” Shelton said. “So you hate to see a guy like that, such a nice guy, great player, go through the injuries and deal with all that he’s dealt with.
"But I think if I learn anything from him, it’s that this is a game that is unforgiving. Things can change quick. You can be at the top of the game, and your body doesn’t hold up or some freak accident happens. Injuries happen all the time. So tennis isn’t forever. I think that’s one thing to learn and take away. Obviously still had a career that a lot of people dream about.”
Thiem was presented with a framed collage of photos of himself in action at the U.S. Open.
He said he will play two more events before retiring, ending his career at the ATP's stop in Vienna in October. Thiem said he will stay involved somehow in tennis, and already has an academy in Austria. And though he said he's at peace with his plan to retire, he knows there's a part of tennis he won't be able to replace.
“I think that the thing I will miss the most is, like, this feeling after winning a great match. It’s not really comparable to anything else,” Thiem said. "You don’t really get this feeling, I mean, in my case, in life outside of tennis, because it’s a real high. It’s like being on drugs a little bit, I guess.
“I mean, I know that probably this feeling is not coming back again, so this is for sure also the one I’m going to miss the most.”
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Dominic Thiem, of Austria, reacts after losing a point to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Dominic Thiem, of Austria, is presented with a collage of photos of his play at the U.S. Open over the years after losing to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Dominic Thiem, of Austria, serves to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Dominic Thiem, of Austria, watches highlights of his play over the years at the U.S. Open after losing to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
