Serena Williams has been acting strange since her sudden exit from Wimbledon. Could it be that her “viral illness” was a hoax? Many have speculated that her boyfriend slash coach Patrick Mouratoglou may have contributed the American tennis player’s performance. Serena Williams has been peppering her Instagram with I’m-getting-better pictures, but her coach admitted that she is still in a “difficult period”.

Serena Williams failed to perform well in a Wimbledon double’s match after her defeat to Alize Cornet. She failed to serve and doctors reportedly said to her, “If you can’t see, you can’t play”. She and Venus Williams eventually pulled out of the match, blaming the “bug” that has gotten the best of her.

But the situation leading up to her failed performance at the Wimbledon double’s match was bizarre. Her coach Patrick Mouratoglou claimed that he has not seen Serena for several days prior to the match, hinting that he had no idea that she was even sick. The more likely story is that Serena, who has been rumored to have been dating her coach, may have had a minor falling out with him and refused to see him.

Venus’ attitude towards her sick sister when the match was suspended was strange as well. Instead of acting surprised or concerned, she was placid about the whole matter.

While Serena Williams has been posting on Twitter that she is feeling much better, it looks like things aren’t looking so peachy. Her coach/boyfriend Patrick Mouratoglou opened up about her state.

“Serena is clearly going through a difficult period. But since Wimbledon, we have had long hours of talks and we are getting back to work. Today she is in the mood to get back to training so she can return even stronger. At no time was there any question of us stopping our collaboration.”

Wait, so the idea of ceasing their partnership was on their minds? Also, what athlete trains because she “is in the mood to” train?

This definitely sounds like something other than viral illness is plaguing Serena Williams. Maybe it’s time to separate her work with her romantic life.

“I have never discussed private matters and I am not going to talk about them now,” said the coach Patrick Mouratoglou. “There have been difficult things. For sure, Serena is in a difficult phase but I will leave it there.”

Will she even be fit to play at the US Open? We’ll see what kind of shape the American tennis player is in come late August!