Melanie OudinIn her run to the quarterfinals of the 2009 U.S. Open, 17-year-old Melanie Oudin distinguished herself for exceptional mental toughness. Her focus and her ability to compartmentalize were further underscored by a potentially distracting domestic situation. According to records from Cobb County (Ga.) Superior Court, on July 24, 2008, Melanie's father, John Oudin, filed for divorce from Melanie's mother, Leslie.
In his initial complaint, John Oudin filed for divorce on grounds of adultery, alleging that Leslie was "unfaithful during marriage." In her response to the complaint, dated Aug. 12, 2008, Leslie Oudin denied the allegation. In a sworn statement made on Aug. 10, 2009, John Oudin specifically alleges his wife had been unfaithful with Melanie's coach, Brian de Villiers. "I didn't initial [sic] take any action regarding my early suspicions because I didn't want to believe my wife was having an affair with my daughter's tennis coach. On December 29, 2007, I confronted my wife about whether she was having an affair with Brian de Villiers. I confronted Brian de Villiers separately. My wife and Brian de Villiers both admitted to me they were having an affair."
John Oudin also states in the affidavit that Melanie suspected the alleged affair. "Both [Melanie and her twin sister, Katherine] asked me point blank if I thought Mom was having an affair with Brian. When I asked why they had suspicions, Melanie told on one occasion she woke up at 1:00 a.m. in her hotel room and Leslie was not there. She called Brian's cell phone and connected with her."
