“I’ll kill you”: Corentin Moutet reports shocking statements on the tennis court – and feels let down by the association.
A violent incident allegedly took place at the Challenger tournament in Aix-en-Provence in southern France: French player Corentin Moutet accuses his Russian opponent Pavel Kotov of threatening to kill him on the court. The world number 82 is appalled – not only by the words, but also by the reaction of the officials.
Moutet subsequently claimed on the X platform that the Russian had threatened him severely on the court. According to Moutet, Kotov said: “Next time you go to the net, I’ll kill you.” He also allegedly said: “One day, someone will kill you.”
The post was later deleted, but the accusation remained. Moutet complained publicly about the umpire’s behavior and sharply criticized the ATP players’ association. Addressing the world governing body, he wrote: “Not even a warning, apparently these words are allowed on the court. How can you expect me not to get involved when you’re not doing your job?”
“I’m going to have trouble sleeping”
Moutet finally prevailed 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. Kotov has not yet commented on the allegations. However, the relationship between the two players was clearly tense, at least after the match. After the last point – a successful net attack by Moutet – both players refrained from the usual handshake. While the Frenchman celebrated exuberantly, Kotov left the court without comment.
Despite later deleting his post, Moutet commented on a tweet in which Kotov’s quoted statements reappeared. He wrote: “I’m going to have trouble sleeping…” – a clear indication that the incident is far from over for him.
