Corentin Moutet swore seven times in a live BBC interview at Queens. He was aware of what he was doing and continued to do it even after being told to stop, and as a result, the ATP fined him $40,000. However, former world No.1, Andy Roddick, believes that the entire situation is far from being that serious.

“I thought the Moutet thing was funny,” he said on the latest episode of The Served Podcast. “If I sit here and criticize someone for language after what we do on this show every week, that’s heights of hypocrisy that haven’t been reached before.”

Although co-host Jon Wertheim was of the opposite opinion and didn’t find it hilarious. And while Roddick acknowledged his perspective, he was clear about where he stood and said, “JW, I get it. You’re coming from a different lens. I think the F word is funny. I probably should outgrow it at some point. I haven’t yet.”

The incident itself unfolded after Moutet’s first-round win over fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club on June 16. BBC interviewer Jenny Drummond asked Moutet about returning Perricard’s 142-mph second serve.

To which Moutet replied, “Whatever you do, you just put the ball in the court, and then he hits me 142. I was like, ‘F***’.” The crowd laughed, but Drummond warned him about using expletives on a live broadcast. But Moutet responded by disobeying Drummond and ended up repeating the word thrice. He later clarified in an Instagram comment that he was “just joking” and hoped people did not take offence.

However, the ATP issued a statement confirming a $40,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct, specifically for the use of profane language. 

The financial reality of the sanction is stark. The Frenchman earned approximately $43,500 for reaching the second round at Queen’s Club, where he fell to fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets after his first-round win. Hence, he was left with just a few hundred dollars for the week after the fine, having spent four and a half hours on tennis and a pricey interview.

The week only got worse from there on the court. At the Mallorca Championships the following week, Moutet lost in the first round to Abedallah Shelbayh, a lucky loser ranked 299th in the world, 7-5, 6-4.  The loss took him into Wimbledon week with back-to-back defeats, an appeal hanging over his head, and a build-up that made him the talk of the tennis town. 

Moutet’s appeal and what the fine reveals about ATP standards

The $40,000 mark is the maximum penalty allowed for verbal abuse under ATP rules, and that brings up a question of proportionality beyond whether the moment was funny or not. Moutet did not abuse a player, an official, or a spectator. He swore on a live broadcast, repeatedly and knowingly, but in a context that the crowd found amusing rather than hostile. 

However, it is not Moutet’s first brush with disciplinary action this season. He was given an unsportsmanlike conduct warning at the Hamburg Open after he pulled down his shorts after going down for a point, which made headlines at the event and added to his reputation as one of the most unpredictable personalities on tour. The Queen’s fine lands on top of that pattern, which makes his appeal even weaker. 

The ATP has a case that the repetition, despite repeated warnings, crossed a line regardless of the tone. Moutet’s case is that the maximum penalty was disproportionate for something the crowd was laughing at, making this a dual-ended controversy with hardly any consensus.