Controversial scenes as Taylor Fritz and Corentin Moutet engage in heated argument, force umpire to step in during Queen's Club clash

Taylor Fritz and Corentin Moutet were engaged in a heated discussion during their opening round match at the 2025 Queen's Club Championships. Their argument forced the chair umpire to step down and separate the two players.

Third seed Fritz took on qualifier Moutet in a scintillating clash in the opening round. While the American entered the event following a successful title triumph in Stuttgart, the Frenchman had a strong performance in the qualifiers to stamp his position in the main draw.

Both in-form players put on a show, which saw the American No. 1 winning the opening set in the tiebreaker. However, Moutet leveled the score by taking the second set in a similar fashion and then took another high-quality set to cause a huge upset (5)6-7, 7-6(7), 7-5 after two hours and 56 minutes.

However, a controversial incident occurred in the second set between the two players while the score was 7-6(5), 4-5. During the changeover, Taylor Fritz and Corentin Moutet engaged in a heated discussion. As the intensity of the discussion escalated, the chair umpire stepped down and tried to pacify the situation. The American was seen smirking by the end of the incident.

Later in the third set, a forehand return from Fritz hit Moutet directly in the face, causing the Frenchman to go down. Fortunately, he was able to continue and accepted the American's immediate apology as well.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Fritz has been involved in a controversy with a French player.

Taylor Fritz was embroiled in a controversy with another French player at Wimbledon 2024

2023 French Open - Day Five - Source: Getty

During the 2023 French Open, Taylor Fritz faced Arthur Rinderknech, a home favorite, and was riddled with boos throughout the match. However, once the American No. 1 won the battle, he shushed the crowd to an even harsher reception. Ahead of their Wimbledon 2024 clash, Rinderknech claimed Fritz was being whiny.

Taylor Fritz won the match 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, and during the post-match handshake, he controversially told Rinderknech to have a 'nice flight home'. This led to a heated confrontation between the two, which the American No. 1 later addressed during his post-match press conference.

Edited by Shivom Krishnan