Corentin Moutet stunned fans at the Australian Open on Thursday after he wildly threw his racket into a fence during a men’s doubles match.
The French star had teamed up with his compatriot Luca Sanchez for their first-round match against Aussie wildcard duo Alex Bolt and Dane Sweeny.
Moutet and Sanchez ultimately went on to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 victory, but were forced to work for the win, with Bolt and Sweeny capitalising on some unforced errors to send the match to a deciding set.
One of those errors came after the local duo had taken a 4-2 lead in the second set.
Sweeny and Bolt held an advantage, with the former stepping up to serve. He sent a booming delivery down to Moutet, who was unable to react quickly enough.
The Frenchman, who will play Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the men’s singles on Friday, mishit his return, sending the ball looping out beyond the right tramline.
Corentin Moutet (pictured) startled fans on Thursday at the Australian Open after he furiously launched his racket into a wall during a match
In a fit of rage, he immediately turned around and launched his racket into a fence with some venom.
Moutet then picked up his racket and strutted back over to his chair before again tossing it onto the floor.
After losing the second set, the French pair would break their opponents to go 1-3 up in the final set.
The Frenchman had two chances to wrap up the match at 3-5, but their Aussie opponents held on, saving two match points before ultimately suffering defeat in the resulting game.
Fans were left shocked by Moutet’s outburst on social media.
‘Epic anger,’ one wrote. ‘Shocking. Punish him,’ another said.
‘Classic Moutet energy.’
It is not the first time the world No 37 has displayed his anger on the court, with Moutet notably losing his cool in 2025, after suffering a defeat by British No 2 Jacob Fearnley at Queen’s.
Moutet and Sanchez ultimately went on to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 victory against Alex Bolt and Dane Sweeney
The combustible Frenchman landed in hot water at Queen’s in 2025 after again throwing his racket in a fit of rage
Fabio Fognini (left) and Moutet shared a tense handshake after the Frenchman’s victory in Stuttgart last year
Moutet was handed three code violations during the match, the first of which came for slow play.
The Frenchman subsequently bit back at the official, branding the umpire ‘crazy’. After suffering the defeat, Moutet chucked his racket across the court in a fit of rage.
A week later, Moutet was also involved in a frosty altercation with Fabio Fognini in Stuttgart, after he appeared to say something to his Italian opponent while they shook hands after the game.
As Moutet attempted to walk away, Fognini was heard saying: ‘Look at me, little pig! You’re a piece of s***!’
Despite today’s fiery moment, Moutet is relishing his match-up with Alcaraz on Friday, stating that he’s going to attempt to beat the world No 1 by not trying to overthink his game.
‘I’m trying not to overthink how it will be. I’m just going to come on the court with my game style, with all the work we did with my team to be ready for these matches. I feel healthy,’ he told the ATP Tour.
‘Let’s see, but for sure it’s going to be fun. Nice points, I guess. He is very physical and talented as well, so it’s going to be interesting. Let’s see how I can deal with it.’
