Frances Tiafoe has landed in hot water after a foul-mouthed tirade at the referee following his loss to Roman Safiullin.
The American world number 17 reacted angrily after being called for a time violation at 5-5 in a crucial third-set tiebreak at the Shanghai Masters.
Tiafoe then lost the next two points, allowing Safiullin to secure a 5-7 7-5 7-6 (5) victory.
The world number 61 shook Tiafoe’s hand at the net before the American fired at the referee – much to the amusement of the crowd.
“F** you, man! Damn you!’ Tiafoe shouted before refusing to shake the official’s hand. “Seriously, dude. You ruined the damn match for me!’
Frances Tiafoe had a nasty tirade against the referee after his loss to Roman Safiullin
Players have 25 seconds to serve after the culmination of the previous point. With time running out, Tiafoe walked to the baseline and threw the ball in the air without hitting it.
The referee noted a time violation, causing Tiafoe to lose his first serve. ‘No, no, no. I threw the ball up,” the American said angrily as he approached the referee. “I stood at the line and threw the ball…I was ready to serve!”
After the referee insisted that it was now the second serve, Tiafoe shouted, “Dude, that’s the rule! If the ball goes up, why am I not ready to serve?’
Tiafoe – a US Open semi-finalist in 2022 and 2024 – could face stiff punishment for the outburst, with ATP rules stating players can be fined up to $60,000 for verbal abuse.
“Players must not at any time directly or indirectly verbally abuse any official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or any other person within the tournament grounds,” the ATP said.
‘Verbal abuse is defined as any statement about an official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or any other person that implies dishonesty or is derogatory, insulting or otherwise offensive.’
The American world No. 17 reacted furiously after a time violation was called