Corentin Moutet has been fined £30,000 by the ATP Tour after a foul-mouthed interview with the BBC following his first-round win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the HSBC Championships. The Frenchman secured a 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 victory over his compatriot at Queen's Club on Tuesday, but his post-match excitement led to an outburst that forced the broadcaster to cut the interview short.
Interview Incident
Speaking with BBC's Jenny Drummond, the 27-year-old initially gave measured responses, praising his opponent and expressing happiness at his win. However, when asked about a 142mph second serve from Mpetshi Perricard, Moutet accidentally cursed, saying: "That's so frustrating. When I had match point I was on the second serve, you aim in the middle, whatever you do just put the ball in the court and then he hits me with 142. I was like, 'F***, I will have to serve.'"
When Drummond asked him to refrain from swearing, Moutet doubled down in jest, repeating the expletive three times. The interviewer responded firmly: "No, no, no!" Drummond then took a serious tone, requesting he keep it clean for her final question. But when asked about his first win on grass, Moutet simply replied: "F***, f***, f***."
Drummond swiftly apologised to viewers, saying: "OK. Corentin we need to improve that for the next round. Apologies everyone. Corentin Moutet."
ATP Fine and Appeal
Despite Moutet later posting on social media that he was "just joking," the ATP Tour imposed a fine of $40,000 (approximately £30,000) for unsportsmanlike conduct. In a statement released on Friday, the Tour said: "Following the use of profane language by Corentin Moutet during his post-match interview after his first-round match at the HSBC Championships at The Queen’s Club in London this week, the player has received a fine of $40,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct."
The statement added: "Moutet has confirmed that he will appeal the fine in accordance with ATP rules. The appeal will be reviewed by the ATP Tour Compliance Committee. No further comment will be made while the appeal process is ongoing."
Tournament Exit
Moutet advanced to the round of 16 at the HSBC Championships, where he faced Alejandro Davidovich. His tournament ended on Thursday with a 6-4, 6-3 loss.
