Corentin Moutet has been fined almost all of his prize money at Queen’s Club following his foul-mouthed post-match interview.
The controversial Frenchman said the ‘F-word’ seven times live on BBC television after his first-round victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Having initially sworn unintentionally while answering the first question, a grinning Moutet then responded by saying the profanity three times more, before interviewer Jenny Drummond pulled the plug.
The ATP announced on Friday that Moutet, who earned £33,000 for reaching the second round of the HSBC Championships, has been fined a whopping $40,000 (£30,248).
That equates to more than 90 per cent of his prize money, or £4,321 per swear word.
Corentin Moutet courted controversy on the Andy Murray Arena at Queen’s Club.
The ATP said the fine was imposed for “unsportsmanlike conduct”, namely “the use of profane language during his post-match interview”.
Moutet has confirmed he will appeal against the fine, in accordance with ATP rules.
Nakashima knocks out De Minaur
On the court, American Brandon Nakashima caused a shock when he knocked out top seed and world No 6 Alex De Minaur.
The 24-year-old, ranked 32, pulled off one of the biggest wins of his career with a 7-5 6-3 victory.
“Very happy with my performance, it definitely wasn’t easy,” he said. “I was under a lot of pressure but I’m happy with myself getting through the critical points and closing it out at the end.
“It’s never easy serving out a match, especially against a top player like Alex, so I was happy to win the last point.”
Defeat was doubly disappointing for Australian De Minaur, with his fiancée Katie Boulter watching from the stands at the Andy Murray Arena.
The 27-year-old had wanted to match British No 2 Boulter’s run to the semi-finals in last week’s WTA event, but fell one match short.
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