‘What an Unfathomable Donkey’- Match-Fixing Suspicions Arise as 22-Year-Old ATP Star’s Extremely Bizarre Retirement Confounds Tennis Fans

After winning the Boy’s Doubles event at the Australian Open in 2018, 22-year-old Hugo Gaston made his ATP debut in February of the same year. Known for a unique and unconventional style of play, the left-handed Frenchman is equipped with an impressive backhand groundstroke that makes him a promising talent, especially on clay courts. However, 2023 has so far been a season to forget for the young Frenchman, given his lack of form on the tennis court.

To make matters worse, Gaston’s shocking mid-match retirement from the first round of the Internazionali di Tennis Challenger event in Verona, Italy has drawn a lot of flak from the tennis fans.

Hugo Gaston faces the wrath of the fans after baffling retirement drama

Second-seeded Hugo Gaston squared off against Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti in the 1st round of the Tennis Challenger Event in Verona, Italy. As Gaston trailed 6-3, 2-6, 2-5 (0-40), he made the shocking decision of retiring from the match just one point away from defeat.

Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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Controversy erupted as enraged fans lashed out at Gaston via Reddit, with some even accusing him of match-fixing. 

READ MORE: “All The Planets Were Aligned”: Hugo Gaston Asserts He Could Beat Dominic Thiem at French Open 2020

A fan criticized Gaston’s decision to quit at such a juncture in the match.

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by u/Nimjask from discussion Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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Another alleged that the Frenchman’s decision to retire was due to his involvement with betting.

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by u/BoBo_HUST from discussion Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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One user theorized why they think Gaston retired from the match. 

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by u/Sei28 from discussion Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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Another user didn’t hold back one bit.

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by u/dedlief from discussion Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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A fan accused Gaston of match-fixing.

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by u/patiperro_v3 from discussion Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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One user was clearly unimpressed with the Frenchman’s decision and called the move ’embarrassing’.

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by u/Kezmangotagoal from discussion Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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Another had some really harsh words for Hugo Gaston.

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by u/Pretend_Tea6261 from discussion Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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A fan called for a change in the rules in order to prevent such unwanted mid-game retirements.

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by u/FlynantialMind from discussion Hugo Gaston just retired from the match at this scoreline
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Shockingly, this is not the first time that Hugo Gaston has found himself embroiled in such a controversy. Earlier this year, he grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Gaston was once fined for being involved in unethical practices during his matches

During his Madrid Open match against Borna Coric this year, Hugo Gaston was seen taking out a second ball from his pocket and throwing it onto the court when the primary ball was still in play, as he hoped to nullify the point being played and as a consequence, replay it. ATP fined him close to $148,000 for his actions. However, later they halved the fine after an appeal by the 22-year-old. Many accused him of engaging in such unethical practices earlier as well.

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After this, his shocking mid-match retirement in Verona has put him under fire yet again. It remains to be seen how Hugo Gaston defends his bizarre decision of quitting just a point away from defeat.