Fuming French tennis star not allowed to retire in embarrassing US Open meltdown

Frenchman Corentin Moutet had an outing to forget when he retired while down two sets to underdog Dane Sweeny in their first-round match at the US Open on Tuesday.Moutet, who’s garnered a reputation for his on-court outbursts and bold interviews, was denied by the umpire when he tried tried to retire due to a wrist injury while down 3-0 in the third set.That is because players must be evaluated by a physiotherapist or tournament doctor before they can officially retire mid-match due to illness or injury, per ATP rules.Both Moutet and Sweeny stood at the umpire’s chair as he called a supervisor — who suggested an assessment would be needed to officially declare the match over.Moutet, who insisted he didn’t need a trainer, was eventually granted his retirement.In the second set, the 62nd-ranked Moutet received a racket abuse penalty for smashing his racket during an angry outburst on the court.

“It’s my wrist, it’s been bothering me, it just won’t go away despite all the effort I’ve put in,” Moutet said afterward, per The Daily Mail.“I don’t really know what to say about it, it’s been hurting for a long time.

Since Vienna last year.“The problem is that I tried to play, to push it every time.And that triggered pain elsewhere.

In Cincinnati, I decided to take a break to try and put the racket down and prepare for here. “I worked very hard physically, without playing tennis.It was long, it was hard, and it’s frustrating not to be ready to play the last Grand Slam of the year.”Sweeny, an Australian ranked No.

162 in the world, rallied from 5-2 down in the opening set.After the win, Sweeny explained that he drinks tea daily to help help him stay calm while in New York. “I think that’s really helped me lately to find some quiet space in this big city,” he said.

“You know, we just do it in the hotel room as we wake up.You hear a few horns and stuff, but that’s about it.”Sweeny will play Lorenzo Musetti in the second roun...