US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe was fined a complete of $120,000 — however won’t be suspended — for cursing repeatedly at a chair umpire after dropping a match on the Shanghai Masters final month.
The ATP stated Thursday throughout its season-ending event in Italy that its fines committee handed Tiafoe a penalty of $60,000 for aggravated conduct on prime of the utmost on-site high-quality of $60,000 he obtained for verbal abuse.
The 18th-ranked Tiafoe, a 26-year-old from Maryland, may have confronted a suspension however won’t be barred from competing, the tour stated.
Throughout a minute-long tirade after bowing out 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) towards 61st-ranked Roman Safiullin within the third spherical at Shanghai, Tiafoe despatched about 10 expletives within the course of official Jimmy Pinoargote.
Later, Tiafoe posted an apology on social media, calling his response “not acceptable behavior” and writing: “That is not who I am and not how I ever want to treat people. I let my frustration in the heat of the moment get the best of me and I’m extremely disappointed with how I handled the situation.”
Tiafoe was angered by being docked a primary serve for a time violation at 5-5 within the closing tiebreaker.
Pinoargote dominated that Tiafoe was not making a real try to serve when he tossed the ball within the air on the baseline because the serve clock was set to run out. Tiafoe initially protested earlier than persevering with to play; he misplaced that time and the subsequent to shut the match.
Tiafoe congratulated Safiullin on the web earlier than turning towards the umpire and shouting the primary expletives. Tiafoe handed to the opposite facet of the web towards his chair and stated the umpire tousled the match.
Tiafoe made it to the semifinals on the US Open in 2022, when he misplaced at that stage to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz, and obtained that far once more this September earlier than dropping in 5 units to fellow American Taylor Fritz.
