Corentin Moutet, a grinder if there ever was one on the ATP tour, has an odd playing style that sometimes ruffles the feathers of his opponents. The Frenchman is clearly aware of that, and many times leans into the situation.
He isn't always disrespectful to the media, though. After beating his countryman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and being interviewed by the BBC's Jenny Drummond, however, he was. The crowd laughed at first, but then things got very awkward. So much so that the result was Moutet being fined $40,000 by the ATP.
The questioning was fine. The player was asked about the match, and he responded. The following question was slightly odd in terms of how one would respond, as it was more about how the winner, Moutet, survived against the huge serve of the loser, Mpetshi Perricard.
Corentin Moutet gets classless in a BBC on-court interview
The proper answer might have just been to take the high road and praise, for a short time, the opponent. Drummond likely didn't mean to entice Moutet into some kind of awkward response, yet that is what he offered, perhaps not fully being aware that he was saying until the court crowd laughed at first.
Moutet said, "That’s so frustrating, you know. When I had match point, I was on the second serve. OK, you aim in the middle, whatever you do, just put the ball in the court. And then he hits me 142, and I was like, ‘f***. I will have to serve." The crowd responded with uncomfortable laughter, and Moutet (which you can see here) obviously noticed and then built on.
Drummond then, nicely, asked Moutet not to drop any more "f bombs," but Moutet responded to that in the negative, obviously attempting to get the crowd to respond to his words again. It was quite the sad attempt at gaining attention, when the odd part was that the attention was already on him.
To the request for "no f bombs please," Moutet immediately said "F*** f*** f***," and Drummong took the microphone away, and said, "No no no no." The crowd laughed, but less than the previous drop of the "f bomb," and Drummond took the microphone away, and tried one more follow-up question to which Moutet said three more utterances of the "f " word.
He was trying to be funny, maybe, but Drummond had a duty to the broadcaster and to those watching to try to get the player not to curse. He didn't.
Corentin Moutet appears to be appealing his $40,000 fine for "unsportsmanlike" conduct for his language. Hopefully, the appeal fails.
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