Moutet breaks silence after heated match against Tabilo: "Since this incident, I have received a lot of criticism and insults"

Corentin Moutet was eliminated in the second round of the Miami Masters 1000, narrowly defeated by Alejandro Tabilo (5-7, 6-4, 7-5).

However, the match left a lasting impression due to the Frenchman's protests to resume play after losing the second set, as he complained about the behavior of a spectator in the stands.

A sequence that obviously made the rounds on social media and which Moutet wanted to address this Sunday on his X account (formerly Twitter):

"From the first point, the crowd was hostile: deliberate noise between my serves, whistles, insults, provocative gestures... Those who watched the match can attest that I did not respond for 1 hour and 30 minutes, simply focusing on playing and coming back in the score.

But as the match progressed, the atmosphere became increasingly aggressive.

After two hours of play, with no intervention from the chair umpire to calm the crowd, I reacted by raising my arms three times to encourage the crowd to make even more noise. At that moment, someone gave me the middle finger.

I felt that this crossed the line of what an athlete should have to accept on the court. So I asked the chair umpire to remove this person before resuming play. Instead of listening to me, he ordered me to play, refusing to intervene.

I then asked for the supervisor, stating that I would not continue as long as this person remained in the stands. Result: the umpire decided to penalize me and make me lose the set.

When the supervisor arrived, I explained the situation. He left, then came back saying that someone (whose identity he refused to reveal) claimed that it was me who had given the middle finger.

He then decided to penalize me again by taking away a game at the start of the third set, giving my opponent an early break. Since this incident, I have received a lot of criticism and insults. To say that it doesn't affect me would be a lie. […]

I want to clarify that I never insulted or disrespected anyone during this match. I hope that one day, the ATP will better protect players. That we will have fewer five-figure fines and more security, whether on the courts or on social media."