US Open chiefs on Wednesday said they were wrong to sanction French player Alize Cornet for removing her shirt on court, a bizarre warning which saw the tournament accused of sexism. Cornet slipped off her shirt, revealing a black sports bra, after realising she had put it on back to front while off court during a 10-minute heat break before the third set of her first round defeat against Sweden's Johanna Larsson on Tuesday.
However, there was a storm of criticism for umpire Christian Rask's decision to issue a code violation to 28-year-old Cornet while male players were free to change shirts to combat Tuesday's 38-degree heat. "All players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair. This is not considered a Ccde violation," said organisers in a statement issued Wednesday.
"We regret that a code violation was assessed to Ms. Cornet yesterday. We have clarified the policy to ensure this will not happen moving forward. Fortunately, she was only assessed a warning with no further penalty or fine. "Female players, if they choose, may also change their shirts in a more private location close to the court, when available. They will not be assessed a bathroom break in this circumstance."
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