Mark Philippoussis’s father is held on child-sex charges

Retired tennis star, Mark Philippoussis’s father has been arrested on child-sex charges in California. 68 years old Nikolas Philippoussis has been charged with having sex with two minors who were his tennis students.

He was arrested at his home in Mira Mesa, California, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Greg Rylaarsdam told Fox 5 San Diego. No other specifics about the case were provided.

“We’ve developed probable cause to believe that this did in fact occur,” Rylaarsdam told the local news station.

Nikolas was booked under the suspicion of taking part in lewd acts on a person younger than 14 and having sex with a child younger than 10. He is on a 2.5 million dollar bail arrangement, which will take place in a few days.

“[He] works as a personal tennis coach … and the alleged molestation victims took tennis lessons from him,” Rylaarsdam told Australian broadcaster ABC.

His son, Nikolas Philippoussis is a two time Davis Cup winner with Australia in 1999 and 2003.

But his personal life always managed to find its way into the newspapers, something that he did not take very kindly.

“Let me tell you, that stuff’s ridiculous,” Philippoussis said after losing to world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the first round at the U.S. Open in New York in 2006.

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“It’s frustrating when I hear that stuff because I’m a tennis player and athlete. Someone wants to write about my tennis, great. It’s unfortunate when I have to read things about my personal life and my family.”

“My dad’s my dad. He’s been there from the start. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am. There’s nothing at all that’s happened with my dad. I just needed to spend some time on my own.”