The French Open is only into its second round, but controversies are no less. During the match between Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch and China’s Wang Xinyu, things went far beyond the baseline.
What should have been a celebratory moment for the 95th-ranked Korpatsch, who is reaching the third round of a major for the first time in her career, was overshadowed by a tense mid-match confrontation over code violation and her refusal to shake hands with her opponent. The drama also quickly spilled over onto social media.
Tamara Korpatsch Fires Back After Snubbing Wang Xinyu Following Tense Net-Crossing Code Violation
Facing backlash from fans over the incident, with many accusing Korpatsch of poor sportsmanship for not conceding the point or shaking Xinyu’s hand warmly, Korpatsch took to Instagram to set the record straight.
“Guys please: To your comments: no sportsmanship and unfair whatever… What do you want me to do? Gift my opponent a point if it’s my point? Just to be fair? What’s this??? If it’s out, it’s out! There were even two ball marks out, so chose one 😉”
It all began late in the first set of Korpatsch’s eventual 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory. Korpatsch had previously held five set points at 5-1, but Xinyu managed to break back. Facing another set point, a deep shot from Xinyu landed near the baseline and was called out.
Xinyu was convinced the ball caught the line, while Korpatsch and chair umpire Aurelie Tourte agreed it was out. Because the French Open is the only Grand Slam that does not use electronic line calling (Hawk-Eye) for live rulings, players and umpires must rely on the physical marks.
Unsatisfied with the chair umpire’s decision, Xinyu walked around the net post, crossing over to Korpatsch’s side of the court to check the mark herself, and that did not sit well with Korpatsch. Xinyu was immediately hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct code violation.
After the match, when Xinyu approached the net to shake hands, Korpatsch briefly seemed to brush Xinyu’s extended hand before abruptly pulling away, drawing boos from the Parisian crowd.
In her post-match press conference, before her Instagram post, Korpatsch defended her actions, explaining that she felt Xinyu and her team were accusing her of stealing the point.
“I think she said… something that she thought that I’m not a fair player or something like that, but we have one of the best chair umpires on the court, and I don’t know how to cheat, honestly,” Korpatsch explained. “There are many cameras on court and they can check everything… Honestly, for me, it would be embarrassing to cheat like that.”
Korpatsch also noted that TV replays using Hawk-Eye technology later confirmed that the call was correct; Xinyu’s ball was exactly 8 millimeters out.
“At the end, we didn’t have a handshake because she told me she’s not okay with that, with the ball marks, and everything,” Korpatsch added. “I’m a bit surprised over that, because normally we have a good relationship and we are not like enemies.”
The 24-year-old Xinyu, currently ranked No. 34, comes with a 2023 French Open doubles title and multiple Grand Slam fourth-round singles appearances. In stark contrast, the 31-year-old Korpatsch is the definition of a late bloomer. Currently ranked No. 95, the German spent the first decade of her career in ITF tournaments, even sleeping in her car to make ends meet, before finally winning her maiden WTA title in Cluj-Napoca in 2023. For her, it’s the hard-fought perseverance on the tour that is finally paying off.
For longtime tennis fans, this might have brought back memories of the infamous 1999 French Open final. During that match, 18-year-old Martina Hingis furiously walked to Steffi Graf’s side of the court to point out a ball mark after a disputed call. Like Xinyu, Hingis also got a point penalty and ultimately lost the match amidst a chorus of boos from the French crowd.
However, with this win, Korpatsch advances to the third round of Roland Garros, where she will face the brand-new Italian Open champion, Elina Svitolina.
