David Goffin blasts ‘ridiculous’ French Open crowd: ‘It’s becoming like football’
David Goffin has criticised the French Open crowd for “total disrespect” and claimed the Roland Garros atmosphere is “becoming like football”.
The Belgian player alleges one fan spat chewing gum at him during his first-round win over France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Goffin, who triumphed in five sets (4-6 6-4 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3), cupped his ear after receiving boos from a hostile home crowd on Court 14.
“When you are insulted for three and a half hours, you have to annoy the public a little,” Goffin told Belgian media.
“Clearly, it goes too far, it's total disrespect. It's becoming like football, soon there will be smoke bombs, hooligans and there will be fights in the stands.
“It’s starting to become ridiculous. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create an atmosphere.”
Goffin insists he is not the only player dissatisfied by the crowd, with “a lot of people” complaining in the locker room.
“Today, someone spat out their chewing gum at me,” added the world number 115.
“That’s why I wanted to stay calm. If I started to get angry about it, it could have destabilised me.”
It is not the first time the French Open crowd has provoked a response from a player, with Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk stating last year that spectators “should be embarrassed” after she was booed off court for not shaking hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.
While world No 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic said he found it “disrespectful” after being booed for taking a medical time-out in his match with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
“I think the majority of the people come to enjoy tennis or support one or the other player,” said Djokovic. “But there are people who love to boo every single thing you do.”
