3 Weeks After Being Abruptly Disqualified, French Open Champion Raises the Curtain on Undisclosed Facts About the Incident

Miyu Kato is slowly unraveling the situations that led to her disqualification in the 2023 French Open doubles. The umpire decided to disqualify the duo after Kato accidentally hit a ball girl. This is not the first time a player hit the ball kid. Legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andre Agassi have all hit the ball kids accidentally, but the umpires let them continue their game. More than the disqualification, it was the statements of the authorities that garnered attention. The WTA star revealed her feelings about the injustice she faced and disclosed the statements the umpire and supervisor told her.

Had it been okay if Miyu Kato hit a boy?

The statements of the umpire and supervisor turned out to be more shocking than the incident. In an interview with ‘Clay Tenis,’ the Japanese player said, “The umpire and the supervisor talked to me afterwards and said, ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would have been ok.’” Is this statement biased?

According to the statements by the hurt player, authorities made the decision only because the girl cried for a long time. Kato added, “They also explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minutes they had to make a decision, because if she had stopped after five minutes, everything would have been allright; or if the ball had hit her legs or arms, everything would have been okay. But no, because it was in the neck it was different.”

Her revelation created more controversy, and the world was not impressed with it. The statements screamed inequality, and netizens condemned them. However, the twenty-eight-year-old did not let the controversial decision decide her fate. She won her first major career title after this shocking disqualification.

READ MORE: ‘If You Hit a Ball at a Kid..’ – Nick Kyrgios Adds More Fire to the On-Going French Open Debate With a Completely Different Take on Doubles Pair’s Disqualification

Kato slapped back with Mixed Doubles glory

Desperate to go home, the young player did not find tickets to Japan, which turned out to be a career-turning point. The 31st seed in doubles was given a green signal to play mixed doubles in the 2023 French Open. She was paired with Tim Puetz of Germany. The duo rocketed to win the mixed doubles French Open title.

Despite the unfair treatment, the Japanese shining star made a name for herself. She said that she felt did not feel okay until they reached the finals. The champion received tons of positive messages after the win that soothed her pain.

Do you think the situation with the ball girl could have been handled better by the concerned authorities?

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