Moutet fined $40,000 for profanity in Queen's Club interview

French tennis player Corentin Moutet has been fined $40,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct after using profane language in a post-match interview at Queen's Club this week, the ATP said Friday.

Moutet used an expletive seven times during an on-court interview after a first-round win on Tuesday against fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the ATP 500 grass-court event in London, which serves as a tune-up before Wimbledon.

According to reports, Moutet initially swore unintentionally while answering the first question. After being asked by the interviewer not to use bad language, he repeated the expletive three more times before doing so three additional times at the end of the interview. The interview was then cut short, and apologies were made to the crowd and television viewers.

One account noted that Moutet uttered the expletive to describe being aced on match point by a 142 mph second serve. After the initial unintended use, he responded by deliberately repeating the profanity before interviewer Jenny Drummond was forced to end the segment.

The $40,000 fine substantially exceeds Moutet's prize money from the tournament. The 27-year-old, ranked world number 36, earned $43,000 for reaching the second round after losing his next match to Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The fine amount converts to approximately £30,248, equating to more than 90 percent of his total prize money from the event.

In response to the sanction, Moutet has decided to appeal the fine in accordance with ATP rules. An ATP statement confirmed that "Moutet has confirmed that he will appeal the fine in accordance with ATP rules. The appeal will be reviewed by the ATP Tour Compliance Committee. No further comment will be made while the appeal process is ongoing."

This incident follows a previous disciplinary matter involving Moutet. Last month, the French player received an unsportsmanlike conduct warning for pulling down his shorts after losing a point during the Hamburg Open.