Corentin Moutet’s campaign at the 2026 US Open ended in bizarre fashion due to confusion over his decision to retire from his first-round match. Following the unusual scenes, the Frenchman opened up about his injury and shared his thoughts on being forced to abandon the match.
Inside Corentin Moutet’s Mid-Match Retirement at the US Open
Moutet locked horns with Australian Dane Sweeny in his opening match at the US Open. The duo engaged in a closely contested first set, with Sweeny edging the tiebreak to take the lead.
The Australian also secured a break of serve in the second set. As Sweeny led 3-2, 40-0, Moutet smashed his racket to vent his frustration, with the chair umpire handing him a code violation and point penalty for racket abuse.
Dur ce premier tour pour Corentin Moutet, point de pénalité pour racket abuse (on savait tous qu’il allait la casser on se demandait juste quand) pic.twitter.com/G6XCW1OWLr
— KK (@kinibcz) September 1, 2026
Moutet then fell behind 0-3 in the third set and appeared on course for a straight-set defeat before he chose to retire from the match. After shaking hands with Sweeny, the Frenchman approached the chair umpire to end the match, but an issue arose over his decision not to consult the physiotherapist beforehand.
Corentin Moutet, who has been struggling physically recently, retires mid match at his US Open R1 against Dane Sweeny.
He was two sets and a break down.
He retired without calling the physio, which is unusual and the umpire initially didn’t accept. pic.twitter.com/RWc7UvjX4J
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 1, 2026
The chair umpire subsequently called the supervisor and the physiotherapist to the court, with the suggestion being that Moutet would need to undergo an assessment before being able to retire. After some confusion, the Frenchman’s decision was ultimately accepted, allowing Sweeny to advance to the second round.
Looks like Moutet wasnt allowed to retire (?)
He shook hands with Sweeny and the umpire, but then the supervisor was called to the court and said he couldnt retire without being assessed by the physio, or at least what i got from the situation.
Bizarre ending. pic.twitter.com/Nag5OjeSqY
— Tennis Masterr (@tennismasterr) September 1, 2026
Speaking to the media after leaving the court, Moutet shed light on his injury, revealing that he had been dealing with a persistent wrist issue for nearly a year. He also lamented the “frustrating” reality of having to abandon his US Open campaign.
“It’s my wrist, it’s been bothering me, it just won’t go away despite all the effort I’ve put in. I don’t really know what to say about it, it’s been hurting for a long time. Since Vienna last year,” Moutet said.
“The problem is that I tried to play, to push it every time. And that triggered pain elsewhere. In Cincinnati, I decided to take a break to try and put the racket down and prepare for here. I worked very hard physically, without playing tennis. It was long, it was hard, and it’s frustrating not to be ready to play the last Grand Slam of the year,” he added.
Following Corentin Moutet’s retirement in their clash, Dane Sweeny will face a tough test against No. 13 seed Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of the US Open.
