Frances Tiafoe to be hit with huge $120,000 fine for expletive-laden outburst against chair umpire: Reports

According to reports, Frances Tiafoe is set to be fined $120,000 for his angry tirade against chair umpire Jimmy Pinoargote during his loss to Roman Safiullin at the Shanghai Masters. Tiafoe took on Safiullin in the third round of the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai in October. The tightly contested battle went into a third-set tiebreaker where the American was docked a first serve at 5-5 due to a time violation.

Pinoargote ruled that Tiafoe was not making a legitimate attempt to serve when he tossed the ball at the baseline, prompting the 26-year-old to protest his innocence:

"No, no, I tossed the ball up. I was ready to serve. Dude, that’s the rule."

Eventually, the American lost 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 and congratulated his opponent at the net before launching into a heated rant against the umpire:

"F**k you, man! F**k you! Seriously, man. You f**ked me out of the f***ing match."

At the time, there were speculations that the American would receive a hefty fine and may even face a suspension due to his actions. However, a report from Eurosport states that Tiafoe will be hit with a $120,000 fine.

Tiafoe was reportedly "fined $60,000 for verbal abuse in Shanghai" according to Eurosport. The ATP Fines Committee then doubled the sanction, adding "a $60,000 fine for aggravated behavior."

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Frances Tiafoe apologizes for his outburst at the Shanghai Masters

Frances Tiafoe at the Rolex Paris Masters 2024 (Image: Getty)

Soon after his expletive-laden outburst against the chair umpire Jimmy Pinoargote during his third-round loss at the Shanghai Masters, Frances Tiafoe apologized for his actions on his Instagram story:

"I really apologize for the way I acted tonight. That is not who I am and not how I ever want to treat people. I let my frustration in the heat of the moment get the best of me and I'm extremely disappointed with how I handled the situation. That's not acceptable behavior and I want to apologize to the umpire, the tournament, and the fans. I'll be better for y'all."

After a successful North American hardcourt swing, Tiafoe could not make the most of his momentum going into Asia and Europe at the end of the season. He finished his season with a 33-26 record after a first-round loss to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Paris Masters.

Soon after, the World No. 18 embarked on a romantic getaway with his girlfriend Ayan Broomfield. The couple attended the Kansas City Chiefs' game with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.