Shirt-gate takes over U.S. Open following Cornet’s code violation

You see code violations all the time for ball abuse, broken rackets, audible obscenities, and the like.

Alize Cornet got one for…wait for it…taking off her shirt.

You can’t make this stuff up, folks. That actually happened. Cornet got a code violation for changing her shirt. And she put it right back on. This happened after the Frenchwoman originally put it on backwards following a bathroom break during her first-round U.S. Open loss to Johanna Larsson on Tuesday.

The USTA issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

“All players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair,” it read. “This is not considered a Code Violation. 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.”

Cornet appreciated the gesture.

“Well, I think it’s very fair from them to apologize to me,” she said during a packed press conference. “I really appreciate it…. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t think that this code violation would become so famous in less than 24 hours and I’m very surprised about it, actually, to be honest. Because on the court, it really seemed like a mistake from the umpire and nothing else. That’s how I take it.

“Usually when I put my clothes on, I put it the right way,” she joked.

There is, of course, no such shirt-changing rule on the men’s side. So is there a double-standard? Cornet thinks so–but not because of this specific incident.

“Yes, but not because of the situation from yesterday,” she answered when asked if the women on tour get treated differently than the men. “I really put it in a different–I mean, in a different situation. But, yes, for sure the women are treated a little bit differently.

I think it gets much better, especially in the tennis. I think we are very lucky as WTA players because we have a lot of equity in this sport, and I really appreciate it. Once more, yesterday was a mistake from one person, and it doesn’t involve, like, WTA, the USTA, U.S. Open, anything. I want to be clear about it, and I didn’t take it that bad, you know. I was just maybe disturbed for 10 seconds, and that was it.”

That may have been the end of it for Cornet, but the story certainly dominated talk at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center throughout Wednesday.

“I didn’t know [the USTA] gave an apology, which is really nice, I think,” said Victoria Azarenka, one of many WTA players asked about the situation. “I believe that should never happen. If I would say my true feelings, it would be bleeped out, because I think it was ridiculous. It was nothing wrong–nothing wrong. It wasn’t anything disrespectful. She literally changed her shirt because it was backwards. So I couldn’t believe this was a conversation.

“I’m glad they apologized, and I hope this never happens again.”