Corentin Moutet Faces ATP Fine After Controversial Interview

Moutet's Controversial Outburst

French tennis player Corentin Moutet is facing a significant fine from the ATP following an inappropriate outburst during a BBC interview. Moutet achieved a remarkable victory against fellow countryman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a closely contested three-set match at the HSBC Championship. After dropping the first set, Moutet rallied to win the second set 6-4 and clinched the final set in a tiebreaker. A standout moment in the match occurred when Perricard, known for his exceptional serving skills, saved a match point with an impressive 142mph serve, leaving spectators in awe.

During the interview, host Jenny Drummond inquired about Perricard's powerful serve, prompting Moutet to respond, "When he hits me at 142, I was like f***!" The interviewer quickly interrupted him, requesting that he refrain from using profanity. Instead of apologizing, Moutet repeated the expletive multiple times, leading the presenter to apologize to the audience. Upon returning to the studio, the presenter reiterated the apology, stating, “And just to repeat those apologies for everyone watching BBC Two and iPlayer.”

Moutet, who is known for his rebellious persona, even wrote on the camera screen, “Chaos makes the muses,” a phrase that also appears as a tattoo on his body. Following the incident, he commented on the heavily-edited Instagram video of the interview, saying, “I was just joking. I hope you guys didn’t get offended. Thanks for the love.” However, his remarks drew harsh criticism from the tennis community. Although he earned approximately £33,000 from his win, a significant portion of that may be deducted due to the impending fine. Moutet is set to compete against Alejandra Davidovich Fokina in the next round.