A French tennis player, Corentin Moutet, has alleged that his opponent, Russian player Pavel Kotov, threatened his life during a heated confrontation that occurred mid-match.
The incident reportedly took place during their first-round Challenger Tour match in Aix en Provence.
Their encounter was a lengthy one. Play was suspended due to fading light in the deciding set with the score tied at 7-5, 3-6, 5-5.
As both players left the court before resuming the match the following day, Kotov allegedly made the death threat towards Moutet.
Moutet, who reached the fourth round of the French Open previously, claimed in a now-removed online post that his opponent stated: “Next time you come to the net, I`ll kill you. One day, someone will kill you.”
He further commented on the alleged lack of action from the ATP, saying, “There wasn`t even a warning. Apparently, those words are allowed on court. How do you expect me not to get involved if you don`t do your job?”
Following the deletion of his initial post, Moutet responded to news coverage of his claims by tweeting: “I`m going to have trouble sleeping.”
Pavel Kotov, who was formerly ranked in the world`s top 50, has not yet made a public statement regarding these accusations.
The match concluded this morning with Moutet securing the victory at 7-5 in the final set. Moutet celebrated his win demonstrably, and notably, there was no handshake between the two players after the match.
Both players have been involved in controversial incidents before. Moutet had a notable confrontation with Alexander Bublik earlier, while Kotov was criticised for hitting a ball in anger near a ballgirl during last year`s Australian Open, causing her distress.
