American tennis player insults umpire at Shanghai Masters.

In the decisive tie-break of the third set, Tiafoe was penalized for a time violation when the score was 5-5. According to the rules of the Association of Men's Tennis (ATP), players have 25 seconds to serve after the previous point has ended.

The American player was unable to serve his serve as the clock was running out. When he tossed the ball into the air without hitting it, umpire Jimmy Pinoargote called a time violation, causing Tiafoe to lose his first serve. This incident angered the world number 17 player.

Frances Tiafoe lost her composure after being eliminated from the 2024 Shanghai Masters (Photo: Getty).

Despite Tiafoe's objections, the umpire forced him to serve a second serve. Tiafoe then lost this crucial point, falling behind 5-6. Roman Safiullin then served to decide the match and hit an unstoppable ace. The match ended with Roman Safiullin winning the set 5-7, 7-5, 7-6.

After the match ended, Tiafoe repeatedly shouted "Bastard!" at the referee. He refused to shake the referee's hand and continued to express his frustration, claiming that the referee's decision had affected the game.

Tiafoe continued his attack on the umpire: "You ruined my game. I ran for three hours to earn that point. I won't let you officiate any of my games again."

For allegedly using offensive and insulting language towards the referee, Frances Tiafoe could face fines of up to $5,000 for each swear word, and a total fine of up to $60,000 if the actions are deemed serious.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/tay-vot-nguoi-my-thoa-ma-trong-tai-o-thuong-hai-masters-20241009154215899.htm