This will considerably weigh down the finances of Hugo Gaston, just 108th player in the world, far enough from the standards of the few millionaires on the circuit. The young Frenchman was fined 144,000 euros, reduced by half, for “unsportsmanlike conduct” during his second round match at the Masters 1000 in Madrid.
The French player, ex-58th in the world, is accused of having deliberately dropped a second ball on the court during an exchange that he was going to lose against Croatian Borna Coric (6-3, 6-3 defeat) on April 28 last, in order to force the referee to replay the point.
The particularly high level of the fine is explained by the reiteration of such behavior, specifies the ATP, the body which manages the male professional circuit.
“According to ATP rules since 2023, fines related to unsportsmanlike behavior increase by 100% for each violation during the same season. This was Gaston’s fourth unsportsmanlike behavior offense during the 2023 season.
However, the player appealed and the fine was reduced to 72,000 euros on the condition that Gaston no longer commits such an offense over a probationary period of twelve months.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Hugo Gaston has earned 114,218 euros. Recipient of an invitation to play the first round of the main draw of Roland-Garros (May 28-June 11), he is sure to earn at least 69,000 euros promised to the losers of the first round. And if he intends to “recover”, of course nothing prevents him from going further in the tournament, as in the fall of 2020, when he climbed to the round of 16 at Roland-Garros.
