“Insulted for 3.5 hours” was the unfortunate experience of David Goffin in his first-round clash. The Belgian player faced a Frenchman, and the crowd did not miss a single moment to jeer at him. Even though he won the clash, the audience treatment showed a troubling trend in the French Open. The treatment by the French crowd is being seen around the world and worries an Australian legend.

While Goffin’s story is in the limelight at the moment, the crowd in Paris has been notorious for troublesome behavior for a long time. Their treatment worried Paul McNamee, an Australian doubles legend. He took to his ‘X’ page to say, “The crowd hassling experienced by Goffin is worrisome. When you played someone at their home Slam, you knew you’d have the crowd against you, but it didn’t cross the line as sometimes in team events, where a home player can get a point penalty. Now it is creeping in at all Slams.”

Goffin faced Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and the crowd of course supported the local player. The French in general fell down in the former number 7’s eyes. Goffin even claimed, “Someone spat their gum at me.” Contrary to the Australian legend, former number 7 claimed that such instances only happen in France. His experience has not been soured in such ways in the Australian Open, the Wimbledon, or the US Open.

Goffin didn’t step out of the court without pushing the buttons of the crowd. He celebrated by pointing to his ear, a gesture showing he couldn’t hear them. Taylor Fritz is one player who can empathize with Goffin as he suffered a similar fate in 2023. Similar to the Belgian, he could not step out without teasing the crowd a few times.

When Taylor Fritz sarcastically thanked the rowdy French Open crowd for being ‘so great‘

Arthur Rinderknech had a grueling four-set match with the American player in round 2 of the 2023 French Open. The crowd had made clear that Fritz was not their favorite as they booed and whistled at him incessantly. Fritz, elated at his victory, motioned at the crowd to keep quiet with his finger on his lips. 

As things calmed down for the on-court interview, Fritz could not help but press the crowd one more time. To Marion Bartoli, he said, “The crowd was just so great I had to let it fire me up. They cheered so well for me, I had to make sure I won.” 

The boos became louder when Fritz returned for his next clash. He has the chance to give a similar reaction to the crowd once again as he is on the path to facing Rinderknech in round 4. Will he make it and face the crowd in a similar way?