French tennis player Corentin Moutet won his first round match against Shang Juncheng at the Madrid Open 2024, 7-6 (11-9), 2-6, 6-7 (10-12). But there was a moment during the match that became a hot topic of debate on social media.
During a break, Moutet asked for a coffee from the chair umpire but was denied. Moutet’s reaction after that, which involvegd hand gestures and baffled expressions, wasn’t kindly received by tennis fans. But it did remind them of a similar request made by Serena Williams during the 2015 Hopman Cup.
A Redditor named r/tennis shared a clip from Moutet’s match against Shang, where the Frenchman is seen arguing with the chair umpire. While Moutet’s audibility is low in the video, the chair umpire repeatedly told him that they do not provide coffee to players on court. Moutet, visibly upset, continued to lash out at the umpire by making dismissive gestures and constantly complaining. The umpire was having none of that and asked him to resume the match.
“I saw on Tennis TV they provide coffee. Why can’t you provide me coffee? Is it because I’m on Court 4? Tell me!” said Corentin Moutet to the chair umpire (as transcripted by a fan on Reddit)
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Now, Moutet may have been right in his position to ask for that coffee. But since the umpire denied it, Moutet’s inability to accept it and respect the umpire’s decision called for criticism online.
While there were several supporting Moutet and drawing parallels with Serena Williams, others simply pointed out the difference between the two players.
“He’s not Serena,” wrote a redditor.
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Tthis isn’t the first time Corentin Moutet has been on the wrong side of a controversy. The 25-year-old player was called out by the French Tennis Federation for his behavior a few years back. He was also denied any support from the organization.
Apparently, Moutet has been kicked out from the French Tennis Federation because of his behaviour…
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Why Was Serena Williams Brought Up in the Corentin Moutet Controversy?
Nine years ago, Serena Williams had the same request as Corentin Moutet, which was accepted. This was during the USA vs Italy match in the 2015 Hopman Cup. Serena Williams was completely outplayed in the first set which she lost 0-6 against Flavia Pennetta.
During this mid-set break, Williams requested for an espresso to the chair umpire. But she had a sense of humor about it. Williams was laughing while asking for it and wasn’t even sure if they would allow such a thing. Then, to her and everyone’s bemusement, a young girl walked into the court with a cup of espresso for Williams.
Not only was Williams allowed an espresso mid-match, but it worked out very well for her. From 0-6 down, Williams won the next set 6-3, and the final set 6-0, to win the match.
