“It goes too far” – Goffin slams French crowds for total disrespect in win over Perricard

The French crowds are known to be very passionate about their tennis. But they can also get very unruly when it comes to a match involving one of their own players against a non-French player.

Belgium’s David Goffin was the latest to experience the ugly side of the French fans behaviour as he played local favourite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of Roland-Garros on Tuesday.

The match went down to the wire with Goffin finally prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, post which the Belgian responded to the jeers of the crowd by holding his finger to his ear, which made the crowd boo him even louder.

As Goffin explained in his post-match interview, he had reason to do so, saying that the French fans went too far.

“When you’re insulted for three and a half hours, you have to annoy the public a little. Clearly, it goes too far,” Goffin said. “It’s total disrespect. Some people are there more to make a mess than to make an atmosphere today, someone spat their gum at me.”

“A lot of people are complaining. It’s the echo that there is in the locker room and in the ATP authorities. I think that it only happens in France. At Wimbledon there is not that. In Australia either. The US Open is rather quiet here.”

Goffin will return to the courts on Thursday to face a hopefully less hostile crowd when he takes on fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the second round.

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