(Video) Corentin Moutet Demands Chair Umpire to Check the Rule Book in an Outrageous Outburst at Mallorca

Corentin Moutet reached the first grass-court semifinal of his career at the Mallorca Open, before beating Alex Michelsen to make it to the final.

(Video) Corentin Moutet Demands Chair Umpire to Check the Rule Book in an Outrageous Outburst at Mallorca

Corentin Moutet was involved in an outrageous outburst (via WeLoveTennis and X)

France’s Corentin Moutet overcame USA’s Learner Tien in straight sets in a tense encounter at the Mallorca Open on Thursday to reach his first-ever grass court semifinal. Moutet cruised through the first set against Tien, winning 6-2, but the start of the second set saw a heated exchange between the Frenchman and the chair umpire over a disputed point awarded to Tien. 

The 26-year-old crashed into the net before the ball’s second bounce during a rally, leading the chair umpire to award the point to Tien. Moutet initially refused to restart the match before returning evidently frustrated, smashing rackets, and expressing his anger, which eventually led to a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct:

He had no chance of getting the ball back! This is madness! I don’t care about the rules! There are the rules, and then there’s the reality of sport!

Moutet went on to win the match 6-2, 7-5, and penned an interesting message on the camera lens that read, “When the rules begin, the human stops thinking.”

Corentin Moutet cruised past Alex Michelsen at the Mallorca Open semifinal

Corentin Moutet commenced his grass swing with the Stuttgart Open, followed by the Queen’s Club Championships, where he made it to the Round of 16 on both occasions. He began his campaign at the Mallorca Open against Pedro Martinez, coming back from a set down to clinch a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 win, also delivering his first bagel of the season. 

Alex Michelsen, Corentin Moutet
Alex Michelsen and Corentin Moutet (images via X)

Moutet then faced German eighth seed Daniel Altmaier, whom he beat with a scoreline of 7-6(3), 7-6(3), and surprised fans by deploying six underarm serves. After his win over Learner Tien in the quarterfinal, Mouter praised the young American, telling the media:

I was trying to stay aggressive. He’s very good, he’s not missing a lot. Very solid player. I lost earlier this year against him, so I knew that I had to be more aggressive today, serve better, and I managed to do it.

Moutet then faced Alex Michelsen in the semi-finals. The Frenchman earned a straight-set 6-4, 7-6 win over the American to advance to the final. He will now face Tallon Griekspoor.

Corentin Moutet learns his Wimbledon draw

Following the Mallorca Open, Moutet will compete at the Wimbledon Championships, where he is in the first half of the draw, which also has World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. Moutet’s best run at this Grand Slam has been till the second round, which he reached in 2019 and 2023.

Corentin Moutet (4)
Corentin Moutet (Image via X/Relevant Tennis)

Moutet had to unfortunately withdraw last year from playing at SW19 due to bone edema. This year he will face Argentina’s Francisco Comesana in the opening round of the tournament on Monday. This will mark their first meeting on court. Elsewhere, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will enter the Wimbledon Championships as the strong favorite, having won the last three tournaments he has played.

Also Read: (Video) Fabio Fognini and Corentin Moutet Engage in a Spicy Handshake Right After Their Match at Stuttgart