Bizarre Scene Unfolds as Alex De Minaur’s Opponent Snubs Umpire After Citi Open Defeat

Corentin Moutet continues to find himself at the heart of on-court storms despite flashes of strong play. Take Stuttgart, where just days after a fiery battle with Fabio Fognini, a match marked by a smashed racket, verbal barbs, and a tense, ice-cold handshake, the Frenchman still carried the weight of drama. Or recall the Arizona Tennis Classic in Phoenix, when sparks flew with Alexander Bublik after Moutet signalled he wasn’t ready to return serve, prompting Bublik to bark, “I don’t care!” before snapping, “Do you want to fight?” Now, after falling to Alex de Minaur at the Citi Open, Moutet stirred headlines again, bypassing the post-match ritual with the umpire.

At the Citi DC Open, Alex de Minaur powered into the Washington final, dismantling France’s Corentin Moutet with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 win. For the Australian No. 1 and seventh seed, it marked another step forward at the very venue where he first reached an ATP 500 final in 2018. With the US Open looming, the victory offered promise, yet also exposed edges to refine, de Minaur scattered 33 unforced errors, including a striking 21 off his backhand in the opening set alone.

Still, his steady composure secured the result, while Moutet, despite falling short, seized attention for all the wrong reasons once again, making an unthinkable gesture that pushed him straight back into the headlights. Both players met at the net for the customary handshake, and then, as tradition dictates, moved toward the umpire’s chair to complete the post-match ritual. But what unfolded next turned an ordinary ending into a scene that quickly caught the tennis world’s eye.

Standing just steps from the chair, Corentin Moutet gestured for de Minaur to go ahead and shake the umpire, Greg Allensworth’s hand first. The Australian obliged, exchanging a quick handshake before walking to his bench to gather his gear. Yet, instead of following suit, Moutet abruptly turned away, skipped the handshake entirely, and walked straight off the court. Moments later, Tennis TV posted the clip on X, where it all caught the attention, captioning, “Too good 🙌The moment @alexdeminaur reached his 19th ATP final, and his second at #MubadalaCitiDCOpen.”

This wasn’t Moutet’s first brush with controversy. Just last month at the Stuttgart Open, he let his temper boil over during a tense clash with Alexander Zverev, who lost in the first round of Wimbledon. After missing a crucial set point in the second-set tiebreak, Moutet’s frustration erupted; he smashed his racket into two pieces and lashed out at chair umpire Fergus Murphy, saying he was “not doing anything all day.”

His anger didn’t stop there. Moutet, visibly irritated by the partisan crowd, reportedly pressed further, demanding, “Tell me one thing you did,” clearly feeling abandoned in an atmosphere charged with support for his opponent. Now, once again making headlines for reasons far from his tennis, Moutet exits in drama while Alex de Minaur, steady and composed, marches forward, laser-focused and ready to battle for the championship under the Washington lights.

Alex de Minaur opens up after reaching the final of the Citi DC Open

Alex de Minaur battled through a testing semifinal to book his place in the Citi DC Open final. Though not flawless on serve, broken twice, the Australian made his opportunities count, breaking the world No. 59 five times in ten return games. His 6-4, 6-3 victory lasted one hour and 45 minutes, but left clear signs that refinement is needed before the title clash.

The 26-year-old world No. 13 sprayed 33 unforced errors, including 21 in a shaky opening set. His backhand carried much of the burden, accounting for 21 mistakes across the match. “It wasn’t pretty tennis, but I knew it was going to be a tricky match without a lot of rhythm,” De Minaur admitted. “That’s what he’s able to do to opponents. I had the mentality of doing whatever it took to get into the title match tomorrow.”

One aspect of his performance, however, stood out with precision. De Minaur was sharp at the net, winning 17 of 22 points, and consistently pressured Corentin Moutet’s weaker backhand, even though Moutet recently secured his fourth Top 20 win on a hard court. The aggressive approach helped him control key moments and offset his baseline inconsistencies.

For De Minaur, Washington holds unfinished business. In 2018, he reached his first ATP 500 final here, only to fall to Alexander Zverev in straight sets. Now, with a tour-leading 21 hard-court wins this season and an ATP-best 41 victories at the 500 level since 2023, he arrives armed with greater experience and sharper resilience.

With this latest run, De Minaur will re-enter the world’s top 10. The next question: can he turn that momentum into a long-awaited ATP 500 title in the capital?