France's Aravane Rezai met the press to explain why she pulled out of Fed Cup and the Paris Indoors. After her early round loss at the Australian Open, the WTA announced it had banned a member of her family from tour events. Australian police also said they were investigating a domestic incident that occurred at her hotel. Two French publications reported that there was a dispute between Rezai's father and her boyfriend, which she denies.
"I would have preferred to explain things earlier, in Australia, but the WTA and the tournament organizers advised against it as they didn't feel I was ready," she said in Paris. "I feel stronger now. I've had a bit of rest and lots of things are fitting in place. I'm working on my tennis career, deciding where and with whom I want to work...The things that have been said in the press are not true—nothing like that happened.
"There was just a small problem between my father and me, a personal matter. It's true that there was some tension with my father in Australia but nothing serious—you get it in every family. I know absolutely nothing about an Australian police investigation on the subject. As for the WTA's decision to ban my father, that's for them to explain. All I know is that I'm 23 years old and I want to take control of my life from now on. My father accepts this. I need his advice and the advice of my family. But the ability to make my own decisions is crucial for me."—Matthew Cronin