Italian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti risked disqualification from the French Open after he kicked a ball that struck a female line judge in the chest during his quarter-final match. The incident occurred as Musetti, 23, faced American Frances Tiafoe at Roland Garros.
Musetti, a Wimbledon semi-finalist, ultimately won the match in four sets, defeating Tiafoe 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the semi-finals. He is now the third Italian man, alongside Matteo Berrettini and Jannik Sinner, to reach Grand Slam semi-finals on multiple surfaces.
The controversial moment happened after Musetti lost the eighth game of the second set. In a display of frustration, he kicked a loose ball, which unfortunately hit the official. Tiafoe, 27, drew the umpire`s attention to the situation.
Despite the potentially serious nature of kicking a ball at an official, Musetti, the No. 8 seed, received only a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, avoiding an immediate default that could have ended his tournament.
Speaking about the incident, Musetti described it as a “really unlucky coincidence.” He expressed regret and concern for the line judge, stating, “Honestly, I was a little bit scared, because I really didn’t want to harm nobody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and of course I said sorry. I apologise to everyone. It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that, and that’s why probably just, you know, let me continue my game.”
His opponent, Frances Tiafoe, the No. 15 seed, questioned the decision not to default Musetti, pointing to a perceived inconsistency in how rules are applied by officials. Tiafoe remarked, “Obviously he did that and nothing happened. I think that’s comical, but it is what it is. Nothing happened, so there’s nothing really to talk about. Obviously it’s not consistent, so it is what it is.”
The incident drew comparisons to previous cases where players were defaulted for hitting officials with balls, most notably Novak Djokovic at the 2020 US Open and Tim Henman at Wimbledon in 1995. Henman, now working as an analyst, confirmed that hitting an official with a kicked or hit ball in frustration *can* result in disqualification according to the rules. While he acknowledged the potential for a default, he suggested Musetti might have been “very unlucky” if it had happened, advising players to kick balls safely.
Former world No. 1 and three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker defended the umpire`s handling of the situation, calling it an “excellent job.” Becker stated that a warning was justified but argued that Musetti`s case should not be compared to Djokovic`s. He urged the public to “calm down” online, adding, “Everyone’s trying to be holier than the Pope. But let’s keep things in perspective. It was a warning, not a disqualification.”
However, fans on social media were largely critical of the decision, with many expressing fury and demanding a default for Musetti. Commenters highlighted the perceived double standard compared to Djokovic`s 2020 ban. Reactions included demands like “How is this not a default??” and criticism of the sport`s “inconsistency and double standards” in decision-making.
