Rezai, the 24-year-old tennis star who was born in France to Iranian parents, has filed charges against her father, Arsalan Rezai, accusing him with extortion. Le Parisien daily also reported that Rezai accused her father of “swindling tens of thousands of euros” from her, but police have reportedly found no evidence of the latter claim.
The tennis champion—who is ranked number 2 in women’s tennis in France and number 52 overall—has long been at odds with her father. Rezai finally cut ties with her family after having a final fall out with her father in January. Arsalan has reportedly been involved in numerous arguments with his daughter in recent years, earning him fines or bans from his daughter’s tournaments.
At the Australian Open in January, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced that one of Rezai’s relatives had been suspended indefinitely from the tour events; Le Parisien reported that the suspension was related to an altercation between Rezai’s father and her boyfriend. But Arsalan denied abusing his daughter or threatening her boyfriend; he said the dispute in Melbourne was over her wanting to hire a private coach.
“I didn’t accept or refuse,” Arsalan said. “And she left. She returned to the tournament in Melbourne with her brother, and she started crying. I do not know what she told the WTA. I do not even know her boyfriend. But it seems that Mansour Bahrami [a former player from Iran who lives in Paris] talked to a lot of reporters. Bahrami is trying to give advice, but he’s a profiteer and not a true Iranian.”
According to the suit, Arsalan—whom Rezai had reportedly been paying 2,000 euros ($2,900 dollars) per month for his role as her coach—had suddenly increased his own salary to 35,000 euros ($50,750 dollars). The documents, filed in the Paris suburb of Boulogne Billancourt, and later turned over to officials in Saint Eienne in south-east France where Rezai’s family lives, also alleged violence on the part of Arsalan.
Prosecutors are still deciding whether to go forward with the case.
For his part, Arsalan said in a May 29 interview with Journal du Dimanche that he has done nothing wrong but is simply trying to support his immigrant family—which depends on Rezai’s tennis earnings.
‘I’m dedicated to my daughter and I have no retirement. Nothing. I’ll see if I can find a job,… but being nearly 60 years is not easy.… Financially, I do not know how we’ll do.”
He told the French site leJDD.fr, “At 24, she chose to stand on her own. All she wants, I respect it. I just want her to be happy. But I’m scared for her. Today, she smiles, the doors open. But there are scavengers around her. They manipulate her.”
Rezai, who has competed for Iran at the Women’s Islamic Games, made a name for herself in 2010, when she defeated WTA legends Justine Henin and Venus Williams to win the Madrid Open. She was ranked 15 at her peak, with four WTA singles titles to her name.
