Is Fifteen-Love based on a true story?

The tennis drama centres on Justine Pearce (Ella Lily Hyland), a former tennis prodigy who had the world at her fingertips. That was until a fatal injury took her out of the game and she never recovered. The series picks up five years after the event, with Justine now working as a physiotherapist at her old tennis academy, Longwood.

But she's in for an upsetting time when she encounters her former tennis coach Glenn Lapthorn (Aidan Turner). Although he has everyone around him wrapped around his finger (it seems), Justine makes a startling allegation against Glenn putting the wheels in motion for a tense series.

But is Fifteen-Love based on a true story? Read on to find out.

Is Fifteen-Love based on a true story?

The story of Fifteen-Love is a fictional one, but is one that is rooted in the unfortunate reality for many tennis players. If you haven't watched the series for yourself, be warned as there are spoilers ahead.

It's safe to say that the new Prime Video series is a very eerie one as Justine's peers and friends slowly turn against her, willing her to be quiet about her past with Glenn.

With Justine making allegations of sexual assault against Glenn and the hearing not going in her favour, the series follows Justine as she recalls the events of that time and also tries to catch Glenn out with his current batch of lies.

But at the end of the series, with Justine now leading an inner city group of tennis teens herself, it seems like a happy ending for all. A statement comes up after the scene finishes, reading: "Tennis should be safe and enjoyable for every player. If you want to know more about protecting young people in tennis, visit: https://www.safetoplaytennis.co.uk."

While the series isn't based on one specific case of abuse, assault or misconduct within tennis, Fifteen-Love is a fictional story but is one that draws on research, experiences and multiple stories from players about their coaches.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about the preparation for the role, Hyland said: "I was given access resources and people who were willing to talk to me about their experience, which was essential for playing Justine. And other than that, I guess there's just countless, countless, countless stories of it. And they all vary in how they came about.

"But I think the most effective research was actually the training because we got so much access to incredible coaches and we were in that environment, that tennis environment, and that was research by osmosis."

Turner plays Glenn, the coach in the limelight who rather quickly morphs into the smarmy villain of the series. Speaking about going into this role, Turner admitted that the pre-preparation for the role was "very much needed", saying: "You don't want to be going into a story like this cold or not aware of what the climate is."

He said: "On this production, they did put us in touch with some really interesting people to have those hard but really interesting conversations. And plus as well, Hania [Elkington], our writer, and Jake [Lushington] had been researching this for a long time.

"So they were passing on documents and essays and links and different things like that, so you can just fast track the research, which is sometimes the hardest part. You can find a lot of the information, but what's the good stuff? We don't always have a ton of time in pre-prep."

In real life, there have been several instances of tennis stars making accusations against their former coaches many years later. Isabelle Demongeot accused her coach, Régis de Camaret, of rape and sexual abuse in her 2007 book, Service volé. After doing so, several former pupils came forward with similar allegations, leading to the then-70-year-old being sentenced to eight years in prison in 2012 for raping two young students at his academy.

More recently, Pam Shriver said she had an “inappropriate and damaging relationship” with her coach Don Candy, which started when she was 17 years old and he was 50 years old. She opened up about the relationship in an article for The Daily Telegraph to warn that similar scenarios are commonplace in tennis.

Shriver stated: “I believe abusive coaching relationships are alarmingly common in sport as a whole. My particular expertise, though, is in tennis, where I have witnessed dozens of instances in my four-and-a-bit decades as a player and commentator.

"Every time I hear about a player who is dating their coach, or I see a male physio working on a female body in the gym, it sets my alarm bells ringing.”

For information and support about the issues raised in this article, visit the NHS website or Rape Crisis England & Wales.

Fifteen Love is available to watch on Prime Video from 21st July 2023 – try Prime Video for free for 30 days.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

For information and support about the issues raised in this article, visit the NHS website or Rape Crisis England & Wales.

Fifteen Love is available to watch on Prime Video from 21st July 2023 – try Prime Video for free for 30 days.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

For information and support about the issues raised in this article, visit the NHS website or Rape Crisis England & Wales.

Fifteen Love is available to watch on Prime Video from 21st July 2023 – try Prime Video for free for 30 days.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

For information and support about the issues raised in this article, visit the NHS website or Rape Crisis England & Wales.

Fifteen Love is available to watch on Prime Video from 21st July 2023 – try Prime Video for free for 30 days.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.