Hugo Gaston is off to a tough start this season. After an early loss at the Brisbane International, the Frenchman moved on to the ASB Classic, where he faced Cameron Norrie in the first round on Monday in Auckland. Norrie closed out the match 6-3, 6-4, handing the 25-year-old another early exit despite his entertaining shot-making. Still, Gaston managed to steal the spotlight in an unexpected way.

Just hours ago, Tennis TV shared a clip on X with the caption, “1. Hold serve after 8 deuces 2. Grab some frites from a fan 🍟 Nice move, @HugoGaston7.”

During a changeover, Hugo Gaston headed to his corner, grabbed a towel, and casually sat on the barricade near the front row where some fans were enjoying some cold beverages and French fries. After a quick greeting, a fan offered him a french fry, which he happily accepted before wiping his face and heading right back into battle.

Understandably, the on-court moment left the announcers clearly puzzled, with one jokingly wondering whether Hugo Gaston had gone over to ask the fans for advice.

Still, the 25-year-old managed to put together a solid performance, especially notable given he is returning from an injury suffered last November during a match against Daniel Altmaier in Metz, forcing him to retire mid-match.

He later explained in a post-match press conference that medical tests were needed to understand the extent of the issue, after the match ended at 4-6, 6-0 ret.

Describing the incident, Gaston said, “There was no noise, I just felt a pain in my right Achilles tendon. The physios asked me if my foot had twisted on the push-off, but I don’t think so. I managed to finish the set but it hurt immediately. I could still run, but I was thinking about the pain.”

Gaston added that while his foot felt fine when flat, the pain intensified whenever it was extended. And that’s why, “It was no longer possible to push off on the serve.” At the time, he said further tests were planned to determine what was wrong.

So far, Hugo Gaston has not provided any update on whether that injury played a role in his loss to Norrie. While fans are still waiting to hear more, his overall performance in the match fell short of expectations.

Hugo Gaston’s opponent plays freely and gets the job done

Cameron Norrie stayed in control for most of the match, breaking Hugo Gaston’s serve twice in the opening set and once in the second to earn a comfortable first-round win. A key stat told the story, as the British No 2 won 88 percent of points when his first serve was in.

After the match, Norrie said he was happy with how complete his performance felt. Moreover, playing in Auckland held extra meaning for him, as it is the city where he grew up, which added to the emotions of the moment.

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“Very solid. I prepared really well, and I was a bit nervous for the match, obviously, as a place I want to play well in,” the 30-year-old said. Norrie also acknowledged Gaston’s tricky style, saying, “He was tricky and it’s nice to see him playing competitive tennis again. He made me fight hard for it.”

Although the match ended on a double fault, Norrie said he was satisfied with the result. “It was a pity to finish on a double fault, but I’ll take the win,” he stated. He felt his preparation paid off, even admitting he had some nerves heading into the contest.

In the end, Norrie also explained that his mindset coming into this tournament was very different from last year. Instead of carrying high expectations, he is now focused on staying healthy, enjoying his tennis, and taking things one match at a time.

So now, with his first-round match out of the way, Cameron Norrie said his attention now turns to sharpening his game. He will face the winner of the upcoming match between Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Roberto Bautista Agut in the next round.