Tennis

Miyu Kato Loses Women’s Doubles Money for Accidentally Hitting Ball Kid but Can Play Mixed Doubles

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File
Miyu Kato, of Japan, right, serves behind her partner Aldila Sutjiadi, of Indonesia, as they play against Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, and Laura Siegemund, of Germany, in a doubles semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Friday, March 17, 2023, in Indian Wells, Calif.

15:00 JST, June 8, 2023

PARIS (AP) — French Open tennis player Miyu Kato forfeited all of her 21,500 euros (about $23,000) in prize money and rankings points from women’s doubles because she accidentally hit a ball girl in the neck with a ball after a point during a match, but she is allowed to keep participating in mixed doubles.

Kato’s partner in women’s doubles, Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia, did received her money and points for reaching the third round in that competition.

French Open tournament referee Remy Azemar made the rulings on penalties. Azemar decided that the ball kid was hit inadvertently and Kato was permitted to continue in mixed doubles with Tim Pütz; they are scheduled to play in the semifinals Thursday.

On Sunday, in the third round of women’s doubles, Kato took a swing with her racket and the ball flew toward the ball kid, who was not looking in the Japanese player’s direction while heading off the court.

At first, chair umpire Alexandre Juge only issued a warning to Kato. But after Azemar and Grand Slam supervisor Wayne McEwen went to Court 14 to look into what happened, Kato and Sutjiadi defaulted the match.

That made Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic and Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain the winners.