The French Open has been marked by a tense standoff between German player Tamara Korpatsch and China’s Wang Xinyu.
The controversy erupted during their second-round match on Wednesday, when Wang crossed the net to dispute a line call on Korpatsch’s side of the court, a move that earned Wang a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Tensions remained high after Korpatsch secured a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory, as both players walked away without the traditional post-match handshake.
Addressing the incident, Korpatsch denied any wrongdoing regarding the ball mark, noting that both the chair umpire and Hawk-Eye confirmed the ball was indeed out.
Frustrated by the accusation, Korpatsch stated, “I think she said, like, something that she thought that I’m not a fair player or something like that but we have one of the best chair umpires on the court and I don’t know how to cheat, honestly.”
She further emphasized that “it would be embarrassing to cheat like that,” adding, “I didn’t offer her my hand because that’s not fair for me. She was unfair to come on my side and I’m not an unfair player.”
