Ashley Harkleroad, Chuck Adams File for Separation

Former professional tennis player Ashley Harkleroad and her husband, retired tennis coach Chuck Adams, are ending their marriage of more than 16 years after Adams filed for legal separation on April 14.

Court documents indicate Adams cited irreconcilable differences as the grounds for the split. The couple, who married on September 22, 2009, share two teenage children: a 17-year-old son, Charlie, a high school basketball player, and a 15-year-old daughter, Cissy, who plays tennis and is sponsored by Fila. Adams is seeking joint legal custody, with primary physical custody awarded to Harkleroad and visitation rights for himself. He also requested that the court terminate any obligation for spousal support payments to Harkleroad. The filing notes that the extent of Adams's current assets and debts remains unknown, and he has asked for permission to amend the petition once those details are clarified.

Harkleroad, 40, addressed the separation publicly for the first time this week, describing it as a pivotal moment of personal liberation. "I got married when I was 19 years old," she said, adding that much of her life had been guided by others, from her father to her coach and...