Mauresmo thinks Gimelstob should be ousted (Picture: Getty Images)

Amelie Mauresmo has called for disgraced Justin Gimelstob to be voted off the ATP board after pleading ‘no contest’ to battery charges in Los Angeles.

The former world No. 1 and 2006 Wimbledon champion is currently an active coach on the ATP Tour. Having previously worked with Andy Murray, she now trains French world No. 32 Lucas Pouille.

Gimelstob, too, has spent life coaching on tour – most recently with top-ranked American John Isner – and occupies several roles in tennis including as a broadcaster for the Tennis Channel.

However, his most high-power role as a players representative on the ATP board is under serious threat after he was sentenced to 60 hours of community service and three years probation after assaulting venture capitalist Randall Kaplan.




While Rafael Nadal dodged the question of whether he should remain in that post in Barcelona, Mauresmo was much more forthright in her assessment of Gimelstob’s future, despite confessing she hadn’t followed the situation closely.

‘So he assaulted a guy, right? And he said he did it? That’s what he said,’ Mauresmo told a small group of reporters. ‘So it’s pretty straightforward, I guess…

Gimelstob’s future hangs in the balance (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I guess that’s not the kind of behaviour you want to see from someone in our sport having a big role in any of the ATP, WTA or ITF… like I don’t know how you call these associations, organisations – definitely not.

‘Even though he didn’t… he accepted the thing and said, “yeah I did it”, I don’t think it’s really appropriate for him to stay there.’

Only the ATP board members or the 10-man player council can oust the 42-year-old American.

A coincidental vote on Gimelstob’s future is scheduled for May 14 at the Italian Open due to his three-year term on the board being up for renewal and, as it stands, it’s thought that he would gather enough support within the council – headed by world No. 1 Novak Djokovic – to survive.

What's been said on Gimelstob? Nadal ‘If I will be a part of the player council I will ask the rest of the players about what they want. ‘The only thing I can do without being in the player council is if somebody ask me from the player council I will give them my personal opinion.’ And that personal opinion? ‘I don’t want to tell you.’ Wimbledon ‘The AELTC can confirm that Justin Gimelstob has not been and will not be invited to participate in the Invitational events, or to attend the Royal Box at The Championships in 2019.’ United States Tennis Association ‘The USTA has followed the news regarding Justin Gimelstob’s plea, and understands that he will be required to complete both community service and anger management counseling as part of his plea agreement. We are assessing the situation, and we will make a decision regarding Mr. Gimelstob’s access to the 2019 US Open closer to the tournament.’ Pospisil (to Tennis.Life) ‘I would like to stay away from commenting on the matters of Justin’s personal life as I am ill-equipped to answer such questions, or make statements on that matter. I will say, however, that Justin has done an incredible job in his position as a player board representative. He has conducted himself with the utmost integrity during the nine months I have been on the council and has fought for the players’ rights. If he were to run again for that position, myself and the players of the tour would be fortunate to have him for another term.’ ATP ‘Justin Gimelstob holds an elected position as one of the three Player Representatives on the ATP Board of Directors and under our organisation’s by-laws his position is therefore a matter of review for the ATP Player Council and/or the ATP Board. The decision was taken to let the judicial process run its course before any judgement was made on his future, so with that process complete this is now a subject for review by the Board and/or the Player Council. As a related matter, the election for the role of the next Americas Player Representative on the ATP Board – the position currently held by Gimelstob – will take place as scheduled on Tuesday May 14, in Rome.’ Tennis Channel ‘We are sure that Justin is pleased that this matter has been resolved. Since he took his leave of absence from Tennis Channel in November 2018, we have been waiting for the legal system to run its course. Now that this is behind him, we will have internal meetings among our executives – and meetings with Justin – to discuss his future with Tennis Channel.’

Here is my very short take on this which is still too long for Twitter. Sorry for the note style reply. pic.twitter.com/lyu3AMEWMA — Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) April 26, 2019

Others, including Simona Halep’s former coach Darren Cahil, are beginning to speak out on the matter, while Wimbledon chiefs confirmed he would not be invited to compete in the invitational doubles nor sit in the Royal Box at this year’s Championships.

Mauresmo is the official starter for the World Para Athletics Marathon Championships and elite women’s race at the London marathon this weekend, with her former student Murray opening the elite men’s race.

It’s the fourth marathon the Frenchwoman will compete in, having already complete courses in Paris and New York and she’s targeting a new personal best under her previous three hours and 16 minutes time.

Murray, who is still recovering from a hip resurfacing operation, won’t be running but Mauresmo is optimistic about the three-time Grand Slam champion’s future.

‘We’re regularly in touch,’ she added. ‘We were in contact together earlier this year. He’s doing better, I think, from what I hear.

Murray and Mauresmo will both start the marathon (Picture: Getty Images)

‘It was tough [to see him struggling]. I was in Australia when he started crying in the press conference. Probably at the time it became a little bit more real for him that it might be the last tournament he was going to play.



‘I think talking to him after that and everything, I think he’s at peace if that was actually his last tennis match he played there in Melbourne.

‘I think he’s – obviously you want to choose when you stop your career as a professional athlete – but he seems to be okay if it’s not the case, kind of, and he’s interested in so many other things, doing already a lot of other stuff, having a family and everything so I’m not worried for him, he will switch to something else if he has to but I also know if he chooses to try and play again he will also give 100% to try and be competitive again.’

Asked if she sensed in Melbourne that a part of him still believed he could come back, she added: ‘Yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

‘The emotion came so I think he didn’t say exactly what he had in mind or maybe he did at the time but maybe something after the surgery is coming back. He’s a fighter, he’s always been a big fighter out there and he will, I think he will give it a shot.

‘I think for him it was pretty tough. Every second of your day, doing sport or not, you have a big pain somewhere in your body. It’s somthing that really – even more as a professional athlete – gets into your head. Probably he’s a bit relieved with already being pain free. That’s already a big step.’