WATCH: Sofia Kenin hits out at Italian Open crowd and brands officials as 'f*****g dumba***s'

May 9, 2024

WATCH: Sofia Kenin hits out at Italian Open crowd and brands officials as ‘f***g dumba*s’

Videos of Sofia Kenin breaking down at the Italian Open during her first round match against home hope Lucia Bronzetti have been circulating on social media.

The American got through the match 6-3 6-2, but the quality of tennis was not the main talking point following the conclusion of the encounter.

Conditions in Rome were a little wet during Wednesday afternoon’s clash and Kenin, a break down in the opening set, claimed it was unsafe to play on.

However, the umpire deemed it dry enough to continue play, and this caused the 2020 Australian Open champion to lose her cool.

Sonya Kenin cussing out the officials in Rome for making her play after she claimed the court was too wet to be safe.
They stopped play a couple points later due to the rain. pic.twitter.com/paxCd6iMEk
— ????nebby???? (@1gamesetmatch) May 8, 2024

During the heated confrontation between herself and the umpire, the Italian crowd naturally got behind Bronzetti and began to boo Kenin further.

This provoked Kenin, the world No.58, to lash out and shout ‘f*** you!’ at the moment she broke back to level the set at 3-3.

Just a few points later the match was eventually halted due to rain, so Kenin was in some way right to have felt hard done by, though her actions are not justified.

Sofia Kenin yelling “F— you!” to the Italian Open crowd. Give her the trophy already pic.twitter.com/Xli1ZsdC8n
— ????nebby???? (@1gamesetmatch) May 8, 2024

Sofia Kenin and the Italian Open crowd

Former world No.4 Kenin is not the only high-profile name in tennis to have had a spat with the crowd at the Foro Italico.

In 2022, Denis Shapovalov was involved in a heated encounter with the umpire debating a line call on his second serve.

Tensions rose largely thanks to increased boos from the crowd – he was playing an Italian in Lorenzo Sonego after all.

In retaliation, the Canadian turned to the crowd and told them to ‘shut the f*** up!’.

Andy Murray also fell victim to the hostile environment in Rome in 2023 when playing against Fabio Fognini, with the Brit later claiming: “Stadium full of Italians booing and whistling, thinking I’m trying to cheat Fabio out of point.

“All because Mo [Mohamed Lahyani] couldn’t read a mark properly. Cheers mate.”

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