Corentin Moutet's on-court brilliance was matched only by his verbal fireworks as he unleashed an expletive-laden tirade in a live BBC Two interview at Queen's Club. The French tennis player, still basking in the glory of his victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the HSBC Championships, let his guard down and gave viewers a saucy treat they won't soon forget.
The courtside chat with Jenny Drummond turned ugly when Moutet responded to a question about a thrilling moment in the match by letting fly with an 'F' bomb. Despite Drummond's polite request for him to tone it down, Moutet kept on raging, prompting her to cut the interview short.
Back in the BBC studio, Clare Balding and Annabel Croft were left looking shocked and aghast as they apologised profusely to viewers watching on BBC Two and iPlayer. Co-presenter Croft was particularly scathing of Moutet's antics, branding them 'appalling'. The ATP will likely take a dim view of the outburst, especially given its broadcast during prime-time TV.
Moutet later attempted to smooth things over with a comment under a heavily censored Instagram video of the interview, claiming he was "just joking" and thanking fans for their love. However, it's unlikely this will save him from a significant fine – potentially up to 33 grand's worth could be deducted from his £33,000 win!
While Moutet's disciplinary woes continue, there was better news for British tennis in other matches at Queen's Club. Arthur Fery triumphed over compatriot Toby Samuel in an all-British clash, while Cameron Norrie's comeback from injury ended in defeat at the hands of Spanish fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.