Corentin Moutet’s profanity-filled interview at the ATP 500 event at Queen’s Club has quickly become a talking point in tennis circles. The Frenchman invited widespread criticism from fans for his “appalling” conduct when he disregarded interviewer Jenny Drummond’s request to “keep it clean” and dropped seven F-bombs before being cut off.
Tennis legend Boris Becker was repulsed by Moutet and questioned his behavior.
Corentin Moutet Faces Tennis Community’s Backlash
World No. 36 Moutet began his campaign at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club on Monday, June 15, against fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The players were locked in an intense battle, with Mpetshi Perricard edging out his compatriot 7-6(5) in the first set. Moutet responded by clinching the second set 6-4.
At 2-1 in the final set, Moutet insisted that the play should be suspended due to darkness, but in accordance with the ATP rule, the supervisor urged them to play one more game before suspension. The rule states that an even number of games should be played in a set before suspending a match in such conditions. Moutet, however, received his opponent’s backing, and the supervisor was forced to postpone the match.
The following day, the 27-year-old narrowly survived the opener, beating Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(5). In the on-court interview that followed, presenter Drummond asked the winner about his experience in returning his opponent’s massive second serves.
“That’s so frustrating, you know, when I had the match point, it was on the second serve. Okay, you aim in the middle; whatever you do, just put the ball in the court, and then he hits me at 142 (miles). I was like, f—. I would have to serve and I would have to…”
At this point, Drummond interjected, “No F-bombs, please.” But Moutet proceeded to drop three more F-bombs.
“No, no, no, no,” Drummond responded. She was then forced to apologize to the viewers before she proceeded to the next question. “Corentin, I’m going to ask you one more question. Apologies, everyone, for the language there. I’m going to ask you one more question, so please keep it clean, okay?”
“You on the grass; last week unfortunately didn’t go your way. What’s it like to get your first victory?” The question was met with three more F-bombs, and the interviewer promptly pulled the mic away from the player.
Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion, did not appreciate the Frenchman’s conduct. “What’s wrong with this guy?” Becker wrote on X.
“Corentin Moutet, ungovernable,” tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg wrote.
Many other tennis community members found the player’s behavior unfunny and “classless.”
“Sorry for being a party pooper, but that on-court interview of Corentin Moutet was really not funny. What we doing here?” a fan questioned.
“Truly appalling. And this after his despicable behavior toward the female referee last night, where he simply refused to comply with the requirement to play an even number of games. She should have defaulted him. Mpetshi Perricard saved him. It was shameful to watch,” one fan said.
“Hefty fine incoming. Gotta make a point of it. The first one, ok. But the next 6, nah. Classless. Wrong place to do it,” one person chimed in.
“Corentin Moutet, ‘classy’ as always on the mic. The question is, will his foul language get him the same kind of fine that Frances Tiafoe got?” one individual wondered.
For context, at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, Tiafoe was slapped with a whopping $120,000 fine for “aggravated behavior” and “verbal abuse” when he launched an expletive-laden rant against the chair umpire.
MORE: Corentin Moutet Performs Bizarre Act As His Frustration Boils Over During Hamburg Open Loss
As of this writing, the tournament hasn’t released the details on the penalty, but the Frenchman should expect a hefty fine for audible obscenity and unsportsmanlike conduct. The player is scheduled to take on fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in his next match at Queen’s Club.
