French tennis player Corentin Moutet has been hit with a substantial fine, almost wiping out his entire prize money from Queen’s Club, following a foul-mouthed post-match interview broadcast live on the BBC.
The incident has drawn significant attention to player conduct.
The controversial Frenchman uttered the ‘F-word’ a remarkable seven times during his live interview after his first-round victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Having initially sworn unintentionally while answering the first question, a grinning Moutet then responded by deliberately saying “f*** f*** f***” three times more, before interviewer Jenny Drummond was forced to pull the plug on the segment.
The ATP announced on Friday that Moutet, who earned £33,000 for reaching the second round of the prestigious HSBC Championships, has been penalised a whopping 40,000 US dollars, which converts to £30,248.
This staggering sum equates to more than 90 per cent of his total prize money from the tournament, effectively breaking down to approximately £4,321 for each expletive used.
The governing body stated the fine was imposed for “unsportsmanlike conduct”, specifically citing “the use of profane language during his post-match interview”. Moutet has since confirmed he will appeal against the fine, in accordance with established ATP rules and procedures.
Elsewhere on the court, American Brandon Nakashima caused a significant shock when he impressively knocked out top seed and world number six Alex De Minaur in a compelling match.
The 24-year-old, currently ranked 32nd in the world, pulled off one of the biggest wins of his burgeoning career with a straight-sets 7-5 6-3 victory.
“Very happy with my performance, it definitely wasn’t easy,” he said. “I was under a lot of pressure but I’m happy with myself getting through the critical points and closing it out at the end.
“It’s never easy serving out a match, especially against a top player like Alex, so I was happy to win the last point.”
The defeat was doubly disappointing for Australian De Minaur, with his fiancée, British number two Katie Boulter, watching from the stands at the Andy Murray Arena.
The 27-year-old had openly expressed his desire to match Boulter’s impressive run to the semi-finals in last week’s WTA event, but ultimately fell one match short of achieving his ambition.
