Tennis: Rapper, banned from the federation... five things to know about Corentin Moutet

Corentin Moutet is not a player like the others. Where most seek consistency, he often finds himself unpredictable. Underarm serves, repeated drop shots... he uses and abuses these shots to break the rhythm and unsettle his opponents.

He has several strings to his bow: an exceptional reading of the game, a rare liveliness, a formidable anticipation, all in the service of a left arm capable of anything.

In 2023, with a wrist injury, he even played several tournaments - including Roland-Garros - with an improvised one-handed backhand, abandoning his usual two-handed backhand.

A divisive personality

Moutet also has a fiery temperament. A match-igniter that can ignite at any moment. The French Tennis Federation temporarily suspended him from its ranks in November 2022, judging that his behavior did not correspond "to the values ​​that the FFT seeks to convey."

What does that mean? More support and more help. Among his accomplishments: being disqualified in Adelaide (Australia) for insulting the referee, coming to blows with his opponent Adrian Andreev in Orléans...

Rap, piano, literature: an artist in his own right

A melancholic artist, he also composes off the court. During lockdown, he even recorded an eight-track rap album, "Écorché." On tour, he sometimes brings an editing kit with him to continue creating between matches.

He also escapes by playing the piano or reading Verlaine, Victor Hugo or even Baudelaire, often quoted after a victory: "I'm not entirely unhappy with myself." But that was before he proclaimed at Roland-Garros: "What did I say!", borrowed from the MMA fighter, Cédric Doumbè.

A long-held hope

Spotted early on as a rough diamond of French tennis, Moutet was French champion in all age categories from the age of 12.

At 20, he became the youngest Frenchman to reach an ATP final since Gasquet – a record since beaten by Arthur Fils . In 2015, at just 16, he received an invitation to the Roland-Garros qualifiers.

But his rise was hampered by injuries. To date, he has yet to win a title on the ATP Tour, settling for the Challenger circuit.

A victory, in anticipation of Roland-Garros?

Two weeks ago in Rome, Moutet put in a remarkable performance with his first victory against a Top 10 player , Holger Rune, after a 3h45 arm wrestling match. A good omen before Roland-Garros?