Corentin Moutet’s shot-making flair is well known. Seeded 32 at the 2026 Australian Open, the Frenchman walked in with his eyes on the prize at the first Grand Slam of the season. But historically, his on-court antics, like arguing with umpires to calling out rivals, don’t always win fans over. And just like that, his move to seal the match in Melbourne didn’t get the love he wanted.

On Sunday, Moutet faced local player Tristan Schoolkate in a thriller on Centre Court. Leading 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), he already had one foot in the next round. Then came the cheekiest of finishers: an underarm serve on match point. Schoolkate, caught off guard, sliced his return long to give Moutet a straight-sets win, 6-3. The victory was his, but the arena erupted in boos from the home faithful.

It wasn’t a stroll either. A hamstring issue forced a medical timeout in the third set. Yet Moutet, world No. 34, dug deep and turned on the magic. His variety dazzled. His cat-like defense left Schoolkate scrambling. In the end, the Frenchman’s flair and grit carried him through.

After the match, he didn’t waste a moment to apologize to the crowd and clear the air about what had happened. He wanted everyone to know what was going through his mind.

“I’m very sorry, I didn’t want to act like this. I really respect my opponent, such a great player, and you guys coming was such a pleasure,” Moutet said in his on-court interview. “It’s my first match this year, the intensity, I was quite tired after two sets.”

Corentin Moutet carved his way into the Top 50 during the second half of 2025, crediting an injury-free year for his surge. The 32nd seed is still hunting for his first ATP title, and the Australian Open hasn’t been his happiest hunting ground. He’s played here seven times, with his best run coming in 2025, when he reached the third round. This time, despite the backlash over his winning point, he stayed composed.

“I’m very happy that I made it through and thank you guys for being so respectful, it means a lot, and congrats to my opponent of course.”

Still, this isn’t the first time Corentin has found himself at the center of the crowd’s disapproval.

Corentin Moutet has faced boos from the crowd before

His most recent clash with the crowd came just months ago, during the Davis Cup Finals in November 2025.

Facing Belgium’s Raphael Collignon in France’s quarterfinal tie, Moutet started strong and looked set to cruise through the match. Then came a moment that left fans and teammates stunned.

Serving to stay in the second set at 5-6, 15-15, Moutet found himself in control of a rally, ready to finish the point with an easy volley. Instead, he let the ball drop and went for a flashy tweener that barely reached his side of the court. The failed trick shot led to a break of serve and, soon after, a three-set loss that drew heavy criticism for his risky decision.

It wasn’t Moutet’s first time ruffling feathers. One of his most heated exchanges came at the 2024 Chile Open in Santiago, where he was loudly booed after beating local star Nicolas Jarry. Fans were furious from the very first point after Moutet opened the match with an underarm serve. His animated reactions and running battles with the umpire only turned up the volume of the jeers, and the post-match handshake was icy.

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“Guys, one moment please. I’m not leaving here,” he told the Chilean crowd as they booed through his on-court interview. Even the trophy presentation felt like a standoff.

“I’m just myself. I’m trying to perform well, to be the best version of myself, to be a great tennis player. If I can entertain the people, that’s even better, but that’s not my first priority. My first priority is to perform and be a great tennis player,” Moutet said later in Melbourne.

As he moves into round two of the tournament to face Michael Zheng, one big question remains: can Corentin Moutet keep his momentum and maybe win over the crowd this time?