The French Open has historically been linked to unruly crowds that the chair umpires have often found challenging to control. The Grand Slam event’s refusal to implement Electronic Line Calling (ELC) has only added to the drama.
On Thursday, Italy’s Luciano Darderi and Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva couldn’t contain their emotions during their respective encounters. Both players ended up losing their matches.
Luciano Darderi Involved in a Tense Exchange With a Fan at French Open
Darderi, seeded 14th in Paris, faced an early exit, a couple of days after his promising 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-3 win against Sebastian Ofner. The Italian, born in Argentina, faced Argentine Francisco Comesaña in the second round on Court 6. Comesaña appeared to enjoy loud support from his country’s fans as the tense encounter entered the fifth hour.
In the final moments of the match, with Comesaña just two points away from victory, Darderi lost his cool and smashed his racket on the court. He was simultaneously provoked by a fan, which prompted him to approach the chair umpire, Greg Allensworth.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please. Do not directly address the players,” Allensworth warned.
Darderi se fue directo a por un aficionado y tuvieron que pararle 😳😳😳#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/v0aSEXUpU1
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 28, 2026
Darderi, however, proceeded toward the fan and engaged in a heated argument, forcing Allensworth to intervene. The Italian ultimately lost the next two points and crashed out of the tournament with the score reading 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Comesaña faces another Italian, Matteo Berrettini, in the third round on Saturday.
Yulia Putintseva Rages After Umpire’s Decision at French Open
Putintseva, known for her on-court outbursts, was left fuming by the chair umpire during a crucial moment in her match against Colombia’s Camila Osorio. The former World No. 20 started her match on the back foot, losing the opening set 7-5. In the second set, she saved four match points to survive and forced a decider.
At 4-4 in the second-set tiebreak, Putintseva was unconvinced by a call by the line umpire. She believed Osorio had hit her shot long, but there was no “out” call. The player called the chair umpire to review the mark, but the chair umpire declared that the ball had landed in.
Putintseva flew into a rage and flung her racket on to the ground while animatedly arguing with the umpire. While other Grand Slams and clay court events have implemented Electronic Line Calling, the French Open has refused to follow suit, leading to multiple controversies involving players and umpires.
😱 Perder los papeles: descripción gráfica
El enfado morrocotudo de Yulia Putintseva, que estampó su raqueta contra el suelo, ante la decisión de la juez de silla#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/cDbm6u0hvh
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 29, 2026
Putintseva ultimately won the tiebreak but failed to close out the match. Osorio came out on top with a 7-5, 6-7(6), 7-5 score after three hours and 31 minutes of play. The Colombian faces Anna Kalinskaya in Saturday’s third round.
