Russian tennis player Pavel Kotov stirred up some commotion at the Australian Open, leaving a ball girl visibly shaken after an outburst involving a tennis ball.
The 2024 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, commenced a day earlier than usual in Melbourne, marking the beginning of a 15-day event. Kotov found himself in one of the opening first-round matches against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
Kotov initially dominated, securing a two-set lead with 7-5 and 6-1 victories. However, Rinderknech fought back, winning the next two sets 7-6 via tiebreaks. The pressure mounted on Kotov during the deciding fifth set, leading to a pivotal moment.
In a display of frustration, Kotov dropped a point and vented his anger by smashing the ball against the back wall. Caught on camera, a ball girl in the background flinched, clearly alarmed at the possibility of the ball hitting her.
Fortunately for Kotov, he managed to clinch the final set 6-3, advancing to the second round after escaping any punishment from the umpire. This incident has left tennis enthusiasts questioning, as per ATP rules, whether such actions could have resulted in his disqualification from the tournament.
The official ATP rulebook states, “Players shall not violently, dangerously, or with anger hit, kick, or throw a tennis ball while on the grounds of the tournament site except in the reasonable pursuit of a point during a match [including warm-up].”
Despite the raised eyebrows, Kotov, now experiencing the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, is set to face either Flavio Cobolli or Nicolas Jarry.
