After several unsportsmanlike incidents this year, Hugo Gaston has been given a heavy fine by the ATP. The Frenchman has been ordered to pay a fine of €144,000 due to his repeated offenses. If the 22-year-old avoids further violations in the following twelve months, the fine will be reduced to €72,000. This was announced by the ATP on Monday.
The fine was triggered by an incident during the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid where Gaston threw a second ball from his pocket onto the court during a point against Borna Coric in an attempt to force a repetition of the point. This proved to be an unsuccessful move.
Gaston has already created negative headlines in Madrid not for the first time this season. As the current world No.108, he has committed four offenses this year alone, which is the main reason why the ATP has imposed such a high fine. This is because the governing body for men’s tennis decided to sharpen its penalty catalog before the start of this season.
So far this season, Gaston has earned a prize money of approximately €114,000; However, he could expect to earn €69,000 from the French Open alone, as he was awarded a wildcard for the main draw by the organizers and would earn that amount even if he loses in the first round.