Tennis player Maxime Hamou has been banned from the French Open by the tournament’s organisers after attempting to kiss a female journalist multiple times during a live television interview.
The 21-year-old French player held reporter Maly Thomas around her neck and shoulders while repeatedly kissing her, even as she visibly tried to pull away and avoid his advances.
The French Tennis Federation (FTT) strongly criticised the “reprehensible behaviour” and announced that it would launch an investigation into the matter. Hamou has since issued an apology for his actions.
The incident took place on Monday, shortly after Hamou was eliminated in the first round of the competition.
It has sparked widespread criticism and reignited the conversation about harassment faced by female sports journalists.
During the Eurosport programme Avantage Leconte, where the interview was being broadcast, several presenters and commentators could be heard laughing and applauding as the incident occurred.
The episode was quickly condemned on social media, with notable figures expressing their anger. French politician Cécile Duflot was among those who criticised the behaviour.
“He kisses her by force, she tries to get away, he holds her by the neck and everyone… laughs #tired,” the Green Party MP posted on Twitter (in French).
Speaking to Huffington Post France, Maly Thomas described the encounter as “frankly unpleasant.”
“If I hadn’t been live on air, I would have punched him,” she added.
On Tuesday, Hamou posted a statement on Facebook, saying: “I offer my deep apologies to Maly Thomas if she feels hurt or shocked by my attitude during her interview.
“I have just spent a magnificent week here at Roland Garros… and I expressed my overflow of enthusiasm crudely towards Maly, who I know and respect sincerely.
“I’m still learning every day from my mistakes to become a better tennis player and a better person.”
Eurosport acknowledged Hamou’s apology and issued its own statement, expressing regret for the broadcast and extending an apology to viewers who may have been offended.
“We sincerely regret the incident that occurred during yesterday evening’s interview,” the network said.
“The behaviour of the interviewee was highly inappropriate and we do not condone such conduct in any way.”
This controversy echoes a similar incident from January 2016, when West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle faced widespread backlash for asking a TV reporter out on a date during a live interview.
As a consequence, Gayle was fined $7,200 (£4,900) by his club for what was described as “inappropriate conduct.”
Hamou has also been at the centre of other controversies during this year’s French Open. On Friday, he abruptly walked out of an interview after being asked an awkward question by a journalist. Then, during his match on Monday, he lashed out at an umpire, angrily demanding: “Why are you here?”
With his career-high singles ranking at 211, Hamou’s on- and off-court actions continue to draw attention for the wrong reasons at Roland Garros.