Be careful, Naomi! Three infamous tennis Grand Slam defaults

Paris

JAPANESE tennis star Naomi Osaka has been threatened with disqualification from the ongoing French Open by the event's organisers if she continues her controversial media boycott at the Paris Grand Slam.

The 23-year-old was fined US$15,000 for skipping her post-match press conference on Sunday after her first-round victory over Romania's Patricia Maria Tig, and could face heftier punishments if she does not back down.

Here are three of the most famous - or infamous - defaults at tennis' Grand Slam tournaments over the years:

Novak Djokovic - 2020 US Open

Perhaps the most memorable default in Grand Slam history came only eight months ago, when the world number one player Djokovic was disqualified after accidentally striking a female line judge with a ball in frustration.

The Serbian's last-16 match against Pablo Carreno Busta lasted less than one set, as Djokovic hit the ball away in disgust after being broken to fall 6-5 behind, with it hitting the line judge in the throat.

Djokovic pleaded his case to the umpire and tournament referee Soeren Friemel, but after 10 minutes of discussion it was announced that the top seed's US Open was over.

He went then directly to his car and left the Flushing Meadows site in New York without speaking to reporters.

"I'm extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong," he later said in an apology posted on social media.

Jeff Tarango - 1995 Wimbledon

Tarango argued repeatedly with chair umpire Bruno Rebeuh during a third-round match against Alexander Mronz and the American refused to continue to play, effectively defaulting himself.

Rebeuh gave him code violation for telling spectators to "shut up", claiming it was an audible obscenity.

Tarango accused Rebeuh of being "one of the most corrupt officials in the game" so Rebeuh gave the American another code violation.

Tarango then packed up his racquets and stormed off the court. Tarango's wife then slapped Rebeuh twice in the face.

John McEnroe - 1990 Australian Open

This was one of McEnroe's most notorious tantrums. Facing Sweden's Mikael Pernfors, he was warned for intimidating a lineswoman, docked a point for smashing a racquet and shouted at a fan whose baby was crying.

He then abused tournament supervisor Ken Farrar.

Umpire Gerry Armstrong immediately disqualified the American, who later admitted: "I can't say I'm surprised. It was bound to happen."

McEnroe also said he had misunderstood the rules, not realising they had changed to a three-strike process for a default rather than the previous four-strike system.

However, getting kicked out of Grand Slam events is not new. The last player to be defaulted before McEnroe was Spaniard Willie Alvarez at the French Championships in 1963.

American Earl Cochell was defaulted from the US Championships in 1951 and banned for life from the sport for arguing with officials.

He was allowed to return in 1962 but by then, his best days were long behind him. AFP