"Man is a textbook narcissist" - Tennis fans still unhappy with Patrick Mouratoglou over Simona Halep's doping scandal

Patrick Mouratoglou finally took to social media to release a full statement regarding Simona Halep and her doping suspension, but tennis fans continue to remain unamused with the way the Frenchman has dealt with the situation.

In his statement, Mouratoglou revealed that he had been mostly silent over the last week as he was focused on putting his energy into helping the Romanian "establish the truth." He further assured fans that Halep was a "model of integrity" and that he believed 100% in her innocence.

"Since Simona's positive test last week, I have chosen to stay relatively silent. My priority has been to put my energy into helping her and supporting her in establishing the truth every day," Mouratoglou said. "Knowing Simona so well, I can assure that she is a model of integrity...I trust her 100%."

Users on Twitter, however, were not convinced, with many chiming in that his statement was too self-centered and that he was simply trying to save face after the backlash he received for his near-silence.

One fan went as far as to say that Mouratoglou was only trying to grab the spotlight after watching Halep's former coach Darren Cahill receive plaudits from social media for his impassioned defense of the former World No. 1 in a long, emotional letter.

"He saw Cahill's statement getting love and decided to get that spotlight too."

Another user also pointed out the differences between Mouratoglou's and Cahill's statements, noting how the Frenchman came off as a narcissist while Cahill put Halep in focus.

"Notice the difference between his statement and Cahill’s. Cahill centers Simo in his lengthy response (as he should) while Patrick centers himself alongside Simo. Man is a textbook narcissist."

Here are some more reactions from fans:

---

"I don’t think we should say that Simona Halep, in this case, is a victim" - Patrick McEnroe

Simona Halep at the National Bank Open Toronto

Meanwhile, Patrick McEnroe is of the opinion that it is wrong to think of Simona Halep as a victim in this situation, commenting that she is a grown woman who should be held responsible for her carelessness. As an athlete, McEnroe noted, the two-time Grand Slam champion should have been more mindful of the things that were entering her body, irrespective of how it happened or from whom it came.

"I don’t think we should say that Simona Halep, in this case, is a victim. You have to be, as an athlete, responsible. She’s a grown woman. She’s a very successful tennis player throughout her career," Patrick McEnroe said.