A bizarre and self-induced injury in the second round of the French Open on Thursday night ended in heartbreak for French tennis player Arthur Rinderknech.
Rinderknech, 28, was forced to retire from his match against Argentina’s Tomás Martín Etcheverry in the fourth set, despite leading 6-3, 7-6 (8), 6-1, after he injured his foot during an emotional outburst on the court.
France’s Arthur Rinderknech plays a backhand return to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry during their men’s singles match on day five of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on May 30, 2024. (BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)
The No. 69 ranked player took an early lead before the home crowd on Thursday night, when Etcheverry came back to win the third and take a 2-0 lead in the fourth.
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After hitting one into the net on deuce, Rinderknech walked toward the back of the court before smacking his own racket and then kicked an advertisement board in front of a row of fans with his left foot.
He appeared to briefly stumble before continuing on. He required a medical break two games later to treat the injured foot, but eventually had to retire from the match.
France’s Arthur Rinderknech serves to Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry during their men’s singles match on day five of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on May 30, 2024. (BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)
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“I feel very good physically, but I just messed up.” Rinderknech local French media, via ESPN. “I kicked into the wall, a little annoyed, at 2-0 when I got broken in the fourth set. I don’t really know at the moment, but I hope I didn’t break my toe. Afterwards, I could no longer put my foot on the ground.”
Arthur Rinderknech of France looks on against Adam Walton of Australia in the Men’s Singles first round match on Day Three of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros on May 28, 2024 in Paris. (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Etcheverry moved on to the third round, where he will play Casper Ruud.
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The incident follows another emotional outburst from fellow Frenchman Terence Atmane, who apologized earlier this week after he hit a woman with a ball that he launched into the crowd in what he called a “moment of frustration.”
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