Pavel Kotov defeated Arthur Rinderknech to begin his Australian Open run on Sunday, but will perhaps be more known for his questionable activity during the match, and not exactly what led to the final score.
Kotov was upset at his play at one point in the contest, which he eventually won in five sets.
Kotov took his frustration out on a tennis ball, smashing it toward the wall behind him where a ball girl was visibly shaken and seemingly went to take cover.
Though the ball didn’t land close to her, the ferocity of the hit was enough to cause her to turn away.
Kotov didn’t appear to notice the result of his outburst.
The blowup was posted by Wide World of Sports in Australia on their Instagram page.
Pavel Kotov rears back to hit a tennis ball toward the wall in the 2024 Australian Open.WWOS
Pavel Kotov smashed the ball and nearly hit a nearby ball girl.WWOS
The ball girl braced for impact when Pavel Kotov smashed a ball near her.WWOS
If Kotov did hit the ball girl, he could’ve been disqualified from the tournament.
Kotov, 25, is a native of Moscow, Russia, who turned pro in 2016.
Russian and Belarussian tennis players are still not allowed to have flags listed near their names as a result of the Russia-Ukraine War.
Pavel Kotov defeated Arthur Rinderknech in the first round of the Australian Open on Jan. 14, 2024.AFP via Getty Images
Pavel Kotov celebrates his first-round win at the Australian Open.AFP via Getty Images
