Minutes before kickstarting his 2024 Australian Open campaign, Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics was ordered to change his t-shirt. The unexpected delay seemed to throw off his opponent, #13 seed Grigor Dimitrov, as Fucsovics won the first set.
Dimitrov’s clash against Fucsovics on Tuesday (January 16) afternoon hit a snag as the latter apparently violated a commercial logos rule. There are no restrictions on displaying logos of sports apparel and corporate sponsors in the Australian Open. However, a player’s outfit can show only up to two sponsor symbols of a certain size.
Fucsovics’ jersey had excess logos on the sleeve. Hence, he was instructed to switch tees after he walked on to the John Cain Arena to begin his journey in Melbourne. Permitted to warm up in this rule-violating kit, he practised with Dimitrov as his team scrambled to find an alternate shirt. This delay did not hamper the World No.70 but presumably unsettled his Bulgarian opponent. The 2024 Brisbane International champion surprisingly lost the first set 6-4.
However, Dimitrov is making his way back into the game at the time of writing. He won the second set 6-3 and only trailed 1-2 in the third set. Viewers in the USA can stream the match on ESPN and Tennis Channel. The winner of this tie will face either local lad Thanasi Kokkinakis or Sebastian Ofner in the second round.
Marton Fucsovics is famous for his ripped build and standout apparel choices
Marton Fucsovics is renowned as one of the fittest and most well-built players on the ATP Tour. Recently, when he faced Taylor Fritz in the 2023 Indian Wells Masters, the American’s girlfriend, Morgan Riddle, was caught by the cameras looking at Fucsovics as he took his shirt off. Later, she remarked that he was built like a ‘Greek God’ (via Tennis Up to Date).
At last year’s Australian Open, Fucsovics celebrated after winning a marathon five-setter by ripping his t-shirt off. His ripped physique went viral on the internet, receiving a lot more attention than his actual match.
Fucsovics has also garnered attention for his bold outfit choices in the past. He sported a coordinated set with images of snakes, tigers, and birds all over at the 2022 French Open. He returned the next year to don bright, fluorescent yellow shorts with tiger prints. The Hungarian has pulled off wacky shorts at multiple tournaments.
