Australians Will Investigate Tennis Academy

The Australian government will investigate claims that female tennis players had been subjected to starvation diets and verbal abuse at the Australian Institute of Sport.

The News Limited newspaper group reported Saturday that at least 34 women awarded scholarships at the Australian tennis program said the training regiment destroyed their careers.

Players interviewed were involved with the program from its inception in 1981 until 1995. Some players said they were under such pressure to lose weight that they developed eating disorders.

Brenda Catton, who played at Wimbledon and is one of Australia’s most promising youngsters, said she vomited before most matches after becoming bulimic.

A spokesman for Sport Minister Jackie Kelly said the minister would be seeking a full report on the allegations.

“The minister will be requiring more information about these matters and she’ll be wanting to determine whether these allegations have any truth to them and whether they have any currency,” the spokesman said. “She will then determine if any action needs to be taken.”

Australia has several highly ranked men’s players, including Patrick Rafter and Mark Philippoussis, who played in the U.S. Open final this year. But the female players have failed to reach the standard of the men over the past decade.