“Not ready mentally”: Corentin Moutet withdraws from Bucharest Open after fiery Miami Open clash with Tabilo

Corentin Moutet has withdrawn from the Tiriac Bucharest Open due to mental health issues following his controversial exit from the Miami Open against Alejandro Tabilo. The 25-year-old Frenchman had reached the second round of the tournament—after defeating Alexander Blockx—but was unable to overcome the Chilean.

It was a heated match, marked by tense exchanges between Moutet and the crowd. The Frenchman had already experienced a turbulent run at the 2023 Chile Open, where he eliminated local hero Nicolás Jarry, enduring boos and jeers from the spectators.

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This time, against Tabilo, the Chilean fans remembered that episode, and while passionately supporting their player, they frequently disrupted Moutet’s serve with loud shouts. After responding with some remarks toward the stands, Moutet asked the chair umpire to stop the match.

In the third set, with the score at 7-5, 3-5, Moutet mockingly imitated the crowd’s “Chile, Chile, Chile” chant after winning a point. He appeared poised to push for a break but, after receiving insults from behind his seat, he told chair umpire Fergus Murphy that he would not continue under such conditions.

The umpire ignored Moutet’s complaints, insisting, “Let’s play,” but Moutet refused to return to the court. While requesting the supervisor's presence, Moutet was given a warning and then a game penalty—handing the set to Tabilo. As they prepared to resume play, Moutet received another game penalty, ultimately costing him the match, which the Chilean won 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.

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“This exceeded the limits of what an athlete should accept”: Corentit Moutet defends actions after heated clash with Chilean crowd

The world No. 76 was scheduled to compete at the Bucharest Open next week but decided to withdraw, citing mental health struggles following the Miami Open incident.

“Unfortunately, I have decided to withdraw from the Bucharest tournament. I don’t feel ready mentally yet after the Miami incident,” he wrote. “Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to coming back stronger.”

With his withdrawal from Bucharest, the Frenchman will take an extra week off before returning to competition at the Monte-Carlo Masters qualifying rounds, starting on April 7.

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