Andrey Rublev shot the cap off a helper’s head at the French Open.
After losing the first set in his first-round match against South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo, the Russian world number seven thumped a ball against his bench, which then unluckily bounced and hit the man who was just pulling the pitch.
“I lost my temper for a moment,” said the 24-year-old afterwards: “Of course I regret what I did. It’s unacceptable to hit the ball like that.”
His behavior was unprofessional, added Rublev, who remained unmolested and finally won the game 6: 7 (5: 7), 6: 3, 6: 2, 6: 4.
After Alexander Zverev’s freak out in Acapulco, there was recently a discussion about lenient penalties for misconduct by tennis professionals on the court.