Italian player Fabio Fognini has been provisionally suspended from the US Open after three separate acts of unsportsmanlike conduct in his first-round singles loss, including one in which he called an umpire a “whore”.
The 22nd seed was cited for three conduct violations, including one in which he swore at Swedish umpire Louise Engzell, and slung the epithet at her in Italian.
He was fined a total of $24,000 for the violations, which is almost half the $50,000 prize money he received after being knocked out in round one by fellow Italian Stefano Trevaglia.
When asked about his conduct by reporters following his second-round doubles win on Friday, Fognini said:
“When someone makes a mistake, they apologize. Accepted or not accepted, at this point that’s not up to me. Everyone makes mistakes. Certainly, I’ve had bad days. And I will have others, like every human being.”
He has withdrawn from his upcoming third-round doubles match, pending an investigation by the Grand Slam Board as to whether he has committed a ‘major offense’.
This type of conduct concerns “aggravated behaviour” which is “conduct contrary to the integrity of the game.”
If he is found to be in violation, he faces fines of up to $250,000 and a permanent suspension from the four major tournaments.
