Corentin Moutet is a lively character on the tennis court; from underarm serves to on-court rants, and some great showmanship, the vitriolic Frenchman never disappoints. However, a recent incident at the ongoing Hamburg Open might be the most bizarre event even by Moutet’s standards.

The incident occurred in the match between Moutet and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, which the Spaniard won in straight sets (6-4,6-4). The match was frustrating for the Frenchman as he missed multiple break-point opportunities. The emotions boiled over as Moutet smashed his racket on the wall. However, even though racket smashes are common on the tennis court, what followed was bizarre.

During the sixth game of the first set, Moutet lost the first point and pulled his shorts down in the middle of the court, in full view of the public. The act was met with surprising reactions from the crowd, and a few burst out laughing. Moutet quickly pulled his shorts back and went on with the game.

Moutet has been embroiled in full-blown physical fights on court, with the incident taking place in 2022, when he and Belarusian player Adrian Andreev were literally at each other’s throats during the post-match handshake at the net at a Challenger event in New Orleans. The Frenchman also has a tendency to rile up local crowds, as was seen during the Australian Open, where he used an underarm serve against Australian player Tristan Schoolkate, which drew boos.

Frustrations boil over regularly in tennis, and rackets bear the brunt. Just a few weeks ago, Daniil Medvedev had a brutal racket smash at the Monte-Carlo Masters, while he was double-bageled at the hands of Matteo Berrettini. At the Australian Open, Coco Gauff’s racket smash in a private area was televised, and it led to endless debates. However, for Moutet, it is not something new, as the star himself has had several similar episodes, including one as recent as last year.

Corentin Moutet Was Engaged in a War of Words With the Crowd in Madrid Last Year

At the Madrid Open last year, Moutet was in hot water once again during his first-round match against Harold Mayot. Moutet lost the first set and was trailing in the second. The Frenchman was visibly upset on court and broke his racket in two. His general demeanor was not taken sportingly by the crowd, who jeered and booed him.

Moutet’s patience broke down as he directly addressed some members of the crowd, asking them to leave and expressing his frustration to the chair umpire.

Calling out some of the members of the crowd, the Frenchman was heard saying, “Leave if you’re not happy. Leave the stadium, there are plenty of courts.” After code violations and multiple warnings from the umpire, he retired from the match in the second set. After the match, he admitted to having a back injury and was under mental stress as he was awaiting his MRI results.

Moutet had a hectic schedule last year, winning 40 of his 71 matches, including Challengers. He had two runner-up finishes in Mallorca and Almaty, losing to Tallon Griekspoor and Daniil Medvedev, respectively. Playing such a congested schedule took a physical and mental toll on him. However, this recent loss and his meltdown do not bode well for the Frenchman, with the French Open just around the corner, where he is the 30th seed and will face home expectations.