French tennis player accuses Russian opponent of giving death threats during match

Corentin Moutet during a match. Photo by AFP

"Next time you come to the net, I will kill you. One day, someone will kill you," Moutet quoted Kotov as saying in a post on X. The post was later deleted, but many people have taken screenshots.

Moutet, currently world number 82, criticized the ATP Tour in the same post for not doing enough to address threats and inappropriate conduct on court.

The 26-year-old has had prior conflicts on the tour, including a heated exchange with Alexander Bublik that nearly escalated beyond the court. In that match, Moutet smashed his racket and later announced a temporary break from competition, Daily Mail reported.

He said Kotov's alleged threat caused him sleepless nights, though he provided no further evidence of the incident. Their match, which was halted with the third set tied at 5-5, resumed the following day. Moutet eventually won the final set 7-5. The two left the court without shaking hands, but no on-court confrontation was recorded.

Moutet turned pro in 2016 and has yet to win an ATP title, though he reached the final of the 2020 Qatar Open, where he lost to Andrey Rublev. He has found more success at the Challenger and ITF levels, winning 12 titles in 17 finals.

This was not the first controversy involving Moutet. At the 2022 Open d'Orleans, he and Adrian Andreev had a post-match altercation after a heated three-set loss. The two exchanged words and nearly came to blows during the handshake, forcing intervention by officials.

Kotov has also yet to secure an ATP title. His best result came at the 2023 Stockholm Open, where he lost in the final to Gael Monfils. He has won three titles on the Challenger Tour since joining the pro ranks five years ago.