France’s Corentin Moutet ‘collapsed in shower’ before Australian Open match
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France's Corentin Moutet during their men's singles match on day seven of the Australian Open tennis tournament.
PHOTO: AFP
MELBOURNE – Frenchman Corentin Moutet said he collapsed in the shower 45 minutes before his Australian Open third-round match, with everything going “black”.
The 25-year-old admitted there was “a bit of panic”, but he composed himself and took the court on Jan 18 against American teenager Learner Tien.
He lost in three sets, with the match marred by a seemingly unrelated episode that saw Moutet fall to the floor clutching his leg while serving in the third set.
“I collapsed 45 minutes before the match in the shower,” he told French media after the match. “I woke up on the floor.
“Everything was black and I couldn’t see very well. It was strange because I felt ready and fit. I had no aches or pains, nothing.
“I’ve got a hole (in my memory). All I know is that I spent 15 minutes in the dark.”
Moutet said he did not hurt himself but was left “stunned”.
“There was a bit of panic during the warmup,” he said. “We did some balance exercises to regain visual stability. I didn’t start the match in the best shape.”
The incident did not appear to hamper him on court, going toe-to-toe with Tien in a 76-minute opening set that went to a monster tiebreak.
But he collapsed clutching his leg after serving at 15-0 in the opening game of the third set.
Moutet got back up and gamely attempted to continue, but was clearly in pain with his movement restricted and lost 7-6 (12-10), 6-3, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev has been fined a large chunk of his Australian Open prize money for unsportsmanlike conduct, including a racket-smashing meltdown in the first round.
The Russian, 28, whacked his racket into the net five times as his frustration boiled over during his opening victory against Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej on Jan 14.
Medvedev incurred a point penalty during his five-set defeat in the second round by Tien late on Jan 16.
During the match, he threw his racket toward the sidelines, which skidded across the court until it reached an advertising panel near his bench.
He also argued with the umpire after being called out for repeated foot faults, then skipped his obligatory post-match press conference.
The two incidents prompted the Grand Slam’s organisers to fine Medvedev a total of US$76,000 (S$104,000). Players who reached the second round collected around US$123,000.
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, has earned more than US$45 million in prize money during his career.
He had reached three of the last four Australian Open finals, including in 2024, when he imploded after leading by two sets, losing to Jannik Sinner. AFP, REUTERS
