Hugo Gaston’s $144,000 anti-gambling fine halved under certain conditions

Hugo Gaston was fined €144,000 “unsportsmanlike conduct” during his second round match at the Masters 1000 in Madrid, the ATP announced on Monday (May 22). The Frenchman is accused of deliberately dropping a second ball onto the pitch during a rally he allegedly lost against Croatian Borna Coric (loss 6-3, 6-3) on April 28, to force the referee to replay the point.

The particularly high level of the sanction can be explained by the recurrence of such behaviours, specifies the body that manages the men’s professional circuit. “Under ATP rules from 2023, fines for unsportsmanlike conduct increase by 100% for every violation in a single season. This was Gaston’s fourth unsportsmanlike conduct offense during the 2023 season.”explains ATP.

Reduced penalty if no violation for one year

The French player (formerly 58th in the world, dropped this week to 108th place) has however filed an appeal and the fine “it will be reduced to 72,000 euros under certain conditions, in particular that Gaston no longer commits this offense for a probationary period of twelve months”, adds the instance. Since the start of the 2023 season, Hugo Gaston (22) has earned €114,218. Recipient of an invitation to play in the first round of the main draw at Roland-Garros (May 28-June 11), he is guaranteed to earn at least €69,000 (promised to first-round losers).