Amélie Mauresmo, the esteemed French tennis champion, has successfully pursued legal action against her former spouse, resulting in a four-month prison sentence for the latter. Marie-Bénédicte Hurel, aged 60, was found culpable of harassing Mauresmo and has been prohibited from communicating with the tennis star for a period of two years. Mauresmo, a former world number one and current director of Roland Garros, lodged a complaint against her former partner in June, citing a series of unwelcome phone messages and other forms of harassment. Hurel has refuted these allegations and retains the option to file an appeal within a timeframe of 10 days.
Hurel’s legal representation has asserted that the disputed messages did not constitute harassment, but were merely a customary exchange encompassing mundane topics. Nonetheless, the court adjudicated her guilty of the charges and acquitted her of similar accusations involving Mauresmo’s current partner. Consequently, Mauresmo herself was mandated a ten-day sick leave due to the distressing episode.
Amélie Mauresmo achieved global acclaim in 1999 by reaching the final of the Australian Open, despite being unseeded, ultimately finishing as the runner-up to Martina Hingis. She subsequently triumphed at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2006, becoming the first Frenchwoman to win Wimbledon since Suzanne Lenglen in 1925. Following her retirement from professional tennis, Mauresmo publicly disclosed her sexual orientation and has emerged as a passionate advocate for LGBTQ rights.