Frances Tiafoe Fined $120K for "Verbal Abuse & Aggravated Behavior"

The ATP Fines committee handed down a substantial punishment for Frances Tiafoe.

Frances Tiafoe received a major fine for his behavior at the 2024 Shanghai Masters in October. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Frances Tiafoe's roller-coaster season has come to an end. The American tennis star finished the season as the World No. 18 with a record 33-26, zero singles titles, and $2.7 million in prize money.

However, Tiafoe just lost some of his earnings after the ATP Fines Committee handed down punishment for his behavior at the Shanghai Masters in October.

According to Euro Sport, the ATP Fines Committee fined Tiafoe $60,000 for "verbal abuse" and an additional $60,000 for "aggravated behavior." In the end, Tiafoe lost $120,000 for a few moments of unbridled rage. The expletive-filled rant can be seen (and heard) in the video below.

Tiafoe avoided suspensions, although it was entirely possible given his epic curse-laden rant following his loss to Roman Safiullin in the Round of 32 at the Shanghai Masters. Tiafoe blasted umpire Jimmy Pinoargote with a string of curse words, which, by our count, included a specific four-letter word used nine times.

Tiafoe later apologized on social media, "I really apologize for the way I acted tonight. That is not who I am and not how I ever want to treat people. I let my frustration in the heat of the moment get the best of me and I'm extremely disappointed with how I handled the situation. That's not acceptable behavior and I want to apologize to the umpire, the tournament, and the fans. I'll be better for y'all."

While it was not one of Tiafoe's better moments on the court, he can now put the incident behind him. The 26-year-old ended his season with positive momentum he can build upon heading into the Australian Open in January.

Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More Tennis News

• Frances Tiafoe partied with Taylor Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs.

• (Interview) Frances Tiafoe discusses his swagger and NBA jersey selection process.

• Jannik Sinner shows off his elegant style in the 2024 Gucci Gift campaign.