Moutet Faces Substantial Fine for Unsportsmanlike Conduct
French tennis professional Corentin Moutet has incurred a significant financial penalty, losing nearly all of his prize money from the Queen's Club Championships. The ATP Tour issued a $40,000 fine for unsportsmanlike behavior after Moutet repeatedly used expletives during a live BBC television interview.
Incident Details and Appeal
The 27-year-old was handed the maximum possible punishment for the offense committed at the west London tournament. Moutet, however, has lodged an appeal against the fine. His prize money for reaching the second round of the ATP 500 event was approximately £32,800, making the $40,000 fine (equivalent to £30,325) a substantial deduction.
The incident occurred during an on-court interview following his first-round victory against fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Tuesday. Moutet, currently ranked 36th in the world, used an expletive to describe his feelings when Mpetshi Perricard saved a match point with a powerful second serve. Despite the interviewer's request to refrain from such language, Moutet repeated the word multiple times. He then swore three more times, leading to the interview being cut short. Presenter Clare Balding later apologized to viewers for the language used.
Following the interview, Moutet posted on Instagram, stating he was "just joking" and expressed hope that people "didn't get offended." He subsequently lost to Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last 16 on Thursday.
Previous Disciplinary Actions
This is not the first instance of Moutet facing disciplinary action for his conduct. In 2022, he was defaulted from the Adelaide International for swearing at an umpire after losing a set to Serbia's Laslo Djere. Furthermore, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) suspended his financial aid in November of the same year, citing a lack of "exemplary behaviour."
Source: Moutet loses almost all prize money for swearing on BBC TV