"What a joke!" - Serena Williams' former coach calls for ATP investigation after Hugo Gaston retires facing match point in Verona Challenger

Hugo Gaston's decision to retire while three match points down against Marco Trungelliti on July 26 didn't sit well with former Serena Williams' coach Rennae Stubbs.

Gaston retired while 6-3, 2-6, 2-5, and *0:40 down against Marco Trungelliti in the first round of the Verona Challenger on Wednesday. The incident shook the tennis world, including Rennae Stubbs.

Stubbs, like many others, indirectly accused the 22-year-old Frenchman of suspicious behavior and even called on the ATP for a reaction.

"ATP Tour, you have to ask the question. How can a guy not play one more point if he's not injured to the point of screaming and rolling on the ground with a catastrophic injury!" Stubbs wrote on Twitter.

"Hugo Gaston needs to be asked that question. What a joke!" the Australian added.

The former World No. 64 also explained in the Twitter thread that whether Gaston lost the match or retired didn't have any impact on his ATP ranking.

This isn't Gaston's first controversial incident of the year. He was fined 144,000 euros a few months ago for deliberately dropping a ball in the middle of a point against Borna Coric, hoping a let would be called.

The ATP halved the fine after an appeal, with the World No. 92 being put on a year-long probation. It is currently unknown whether the Association will punish Gaston for his retirement in Verona.

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Ellen Perez slams Hugo Gaston for bizarre Verona Challenger retirement

Hugo Gaston at the 2023 French Open

Hugo Gaston was heavily criticized by many on social media, with accusations about possible match-fixing being thrown at him left and right. Australian tennis player Ellen Perez also took to social media to slam the Frenchman for his decision.

"If you can walk to the net then you can walk to the ad court and throw in that last serve. This shouldn't be allowed. It screams betting-related issues," she wrote on Twitter.

"Some companies give money back if matches end in retirement. It’s the only logical answer because this is just ridiculous," the Aussie added, finishing her tweet with a puking emoji.

One of the fans said Hugo Gaston's decision might have been influenced by him not wanting a loss against Trungelliti on his official H2H. But Perez didn't see much logic in that.

"W-L ratio is probably the reason. When I call out gambling stuff I don’t actually know I just mean it’s the only logical reason to me why ppl would do this. Pride to W-L is dumb to me because we all know it’s a loss. Who are you trying to kid or fool? It’s just unsportsmanlike," she stated.

Martin Trungelliti will take on Vit Kopriva in Verona Challenger's second round on July 27.