TURIN, Italy — Frances Tiafoe, who reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open, has been hit with a hefty fine totaling $120,000 due to his outburst directed at a chair umpire following his loss at the Shanghai Masters last month. However, the ATP has clarified that Tiafoe will not face any suspension.
On Thursday, during the concluding tournament of the season in Italy, the ATP announced that their fines committee imposed a $60,000 penalty for his aggravated behavior, in addition to the $60,000 maximum fine he received on-site for verbal abuse.
At 26 years old, and currently ranked 18th, Tiafoe hails from Maryland. The ATP tour confirmed that while there was a possibility for a suspension, Tiafoe will remain eligible to compete in upcoming matches.
Tiafoe’s tirade occurred during a tense match where he lost with scores of 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) against Roman Safiullin, ranked 61st, in the third round in Shanghai. After his defeat, he unleashed a barrage of about ten expletives directed at the official, Jimmy Pinoargote, in a one-minute rant.
Following this incident, Tiafoe took to social media to express remorse for his actions, labeling his conduct as “not acceptable behavior.” He reflected on the situation by saying, “That is not who I am and not how I ever want to treat people. I let my frustration in the heat of the moment get the best of me and I’m extremely disappointed with how I handled the situation.”
Tiafoe’s frustration peaked when he received a penalty for a time violation while serving at a critical moment in the final tiebreaker. Pinoargote determined that Tiafoe was not making a proper attempt to serve when he tossed the ball up as the serve clock clicked down. Despite initially arguing about the call, Tiafoe resumed play but went on to lose that point and the following one, concluding the match.
After the match, Tiafoe congratulated Safiullin at the net but then turned to confront the umpire, expressing his anger with a string of expletives. Subsequently, he walked to his chair, criticizing Pinoargote for his officiating.
In his career, Tiafoe made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 2022, where he faced eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz and was again successful in reaching the semifinals this September, only to lose in a five-set battle against fellow American Taylor Fritz.