Italian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti faced potential disqualification at the French Open after kicking a ball in frustration, which struck a female line judge in the chest.
The 23-year-old, a Wimbledon semi-finalist, won his quarter-final match against American Frances Tiafoe, aged 27, with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 at Roland Garros.
The incident occurred after Musetti lost the eighth game of the second set. He was fortunate not to be defaulted from the tournament for his action.
His opponent, Tiafoe, drew the umpire`s attention to the situation.
Ultimately, the Italian received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, although a harsher penalty seemed possible under the rules.
Musetti commented on the event:
“Honestly it was a really unlucky coincidence. Honestly, I was a little bit scared, because I really didn’t want to harm nobody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and of course I said sorry. I apologise to everyone. It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that, and that’s why probably just, you know, let me continue my game.”
However, Tiafoe questioned why Musetti wasn`t disqualified, suggesting inconsistency in how officials apply the rules.
“Obviously he did that and nothing happened. I think that’s comical, but it is what it is. Nothing happened, so there’s nothing really to talk about. Obviously it’s not consistent, so it is what it is.”
Past incidents show players have been defaulted for similar actions. Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the 2020 US Open, and Tim Henman was famously removed from Wimbledon in 1995 for hitting a ball girl.
Tim Henman, now a tennis analyst, shared his view:
“By the letter of the law, if you hit or kick a ball away in frustration, and it hits a ballboy, line-judge or umpire that can be a disqualification. When you look at that, the umpire could have interpreted that as a disqualification. If Musetti was disqualified for that, he’d feel very unlucky and aggrieved. But when you’re kicking a ball away, you’ve either got to be a better footballer and kick it in the right direction. Or you are risking something like that.”
Musetti`s victory secured his spot in the semi-finals, making him the third Italian man, after Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner, to reach multiple Grand Slam semi-finals on different surfaces.
Boris Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion, defended the umpire`s decision:
“The German umpire Timo Janzen did an excellent job. You can’t disqualify Musetti over something like that. The warning was justified, but you can’t compare it to Djokovic. The internet needs to calm down. Everyone’s trying to be holier than the Pope. But let’s keep things in perspective. It was a warning, not a disqualification.”
Despite Becker`s perspective, many fans on social media expressed frustration and called for a default, citing the perceived double standard.
One user asked: “How is this not a default??”
Another added: “Djokovic was banned for a whole tournament for a lot less!”
A third wrote: “Default. Rules are rules. Foe should be through. It’s a disgrace.”
And a fourth posted: “Default. The inconsistency and double standards in decision-making is making me grow cold toward tennis.”
