LONDON (AP) – French tennis player Hugo Gaston has been fined 144,000 euros (about $155,000). the ATP tour — more than he has collected in prize money so far in 2023 — for pulling a ball out of his pocket during a point and throwing it onto the field to try and get a replay, his fourth unsportsmanlike conduct offense this season.
The tour announced their decision Monday, saying Gaston’s appeal of the fine has resulted in a halving of the fine to €72,000 (about $77,500) so long as he meets certain conditions, including no further violations during a one-year probationary period .
The ATP said the fines for unsportsmanlike conduct “increase by 100% for each consecutive violation in the same season”.
Gaston has earned just over $120,000 in prize money this year while finishing 2-5 on tour. He is a 22-year-old left-hander who has been ranked up to 58th and is currently ranked 108th.
The fine was prompted by Gaston’s attempt to get the referee to cancel a point and repeat it during his 6-3, 6-3 second-round loss to Borna Coric at the Madrid Open on April 28.
Last week, the French Tennis Federation granted Gaston a wildcard entry into the French Open, which begins on Sunday. His best Grand Slam performance of his career came at Roland Garros in 2020 when he reached the fourth round there. A year ago he made it to the third round in Paris.