French tennis star Elsa Jacquemot could be searching for a new coach after a sensational mid-match walkout during her second-round encounter at the Australian Open on Wednesday. The 22-year-old was comprehensively defeated by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in straight sets, but the match was overshadowed by the dramatic departure of her coach, Simon Blanc.
Fiery Exchange Leads to Dramatic Exit
The incident occurred on Court 5 as Jacquemot trailed 5-0 after just 25 minutes of play. Visibly frustrated and angry, the world No.60 directed her ire towards Blanc, who had previously coached her opponent, Putintseva. Jacquemot was heard complaining to her team about Blanc's prior relationship with Putintseva, suggesting he had not fully disclosed tactical weaknesses.
'He has coached her for years and there are schemes that he hasn't even told me about, it's a crazy scenario,' she reportedly told her support staff.
After hearing these fiery comments, a visibly seething Blanc picked up his bag and left the court. He pointed his finger at the combative French player before making his exit, leaving Jacquemot to complete the match without his courtside guidance.
Post-Match Reflections and No Apology
Speaking after her defeat, Jacquemot appeared uncomfortable but offered no public apology to her departed coach. She described the loss as particularly difficult to process, acknowledging that external factors had disrupted her performance from the very first game.
'This is a very tough loss. In the first game, something external disrupted me. I don't really want to talk about it now, it's my private sphere,' the French player stated.
Jacquemot expressed deep frustration with her performance, admitting she was far from her usual level. 'This is a very complicated defeat for me because I wanted to go very far in this tournament. I was far from my level in that match. So it's very frustrating. This is a loss that will be hard to digest.'
Mental Strength Tested
The young tennis star, who typically relies on her mental fortitude, acknowledged that she had allowed external factors to affect her game. 'My mental strength is my greatest asset. In a match like this, I let myself be disrupted by something external. Unfortunately, I couldn't get back into it. I have many things to improve on this. I'll work on it.'
She revealed the psychological impact of the incident, stating, 'I'm mentally affected. I don't enjoy it at all, I'm falling apart, I'm playing very badly because it affected me psychologically.'
Contrasting Fortunes in Melbourne
The dramatic second-round exit followed a remarkable first-round victory for Jacquemot, where she defeated 20th seed Marta Kostyuk in a thrilling encounter that lasted nearly four hours. All three sets of that match were decided by tiebreakers, showcasing Jacquemot's resilience and competitive spirit in stark contrast to Wednesday's events.
The coaching relationship between Jacquemot and Blanc now appears in serious jeopardy following this very public falling out. The tennis world will be watching closely to see whether they can reconcile their differences or if the French star will indeed need to secure new coaching arrangements as she continues her professional career.
