Corentin Moutet's US Open campaign ended prematurely and unconventionally when he attempted to retire from his first-round match against Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny. The match concluded with Moutet two sets down and trailing 3-0 in the third set.
Earlier in the match, Moutet had an outburst, smashing his racket and receiving a penalty for racket abuse. This incident preceded his decision to withdraw, which he cited as being due to a wrist injury. However, the umpire initially informed Moutet that he could not retire from the match until he had been examined by a physiotherapist.
This led to a confusing sequence where Moutet approached Sweeny to shake hands, then did the same with the umpire. The umpire then called for a physio to assess the French player. Moutet insisted he did not require a trainer and reiterated his desire to end the match. A supervisor was subsequently called to the court, and after a discussion about the need for an official assessment to confirm the retirement, Moutet's withdrawal was eventually accepted.
Moutet later explained that the wrist injury has been a persistent issue, bothering him since the previous year in Vienna. He described trying to play through the pain, which exacerbated the problem and caused discomfort elsewhere. Despite taking a break in Cincinnati to rest and prepare for the US Open, he felt he was not ready to compete.
The French player has a history of on-court emotional outbursts and has been fined previously for his conduct. He has spoken about struggling with losing, noting that he rarely experienced defeat until his teenage years, which made learning to cope with losses difficult.
Sweeny, having advanced due to Moutet's retirement, will move on to the second round. He noted that it is encouraging to see multiple Australian players progress. Sweeny also sustained his own battle scar from the match, icing an elbow lump, which he described as a recurring issue from diving on court.