French Open 2026: Tamara Korpatsch and Wang Xinyu skip handshake after heated Roland Garros exchange

Tamara Korpatsch has rejected suggestions from China’s Wang Xiyu that she was “not a fair player” after a disputed line-call controversy during their match. Korpatsch said the incident was based on two ball marks, one old and one new, and insisted both were out. Her account was backed by the chair umpire and Hawk-Eye review, which she said showed the ball was clearly out by about 8 millimetres.

According to Korpatsch, the chair umpire came down from the chair to inspect the mark and confirmed that the ball had landed out. She added that the television replay and Hawk-Eye system supported the ruling. The dispute escalated when Wang came over to Korpatsch’s side of the court, apparently because she did not believe the decision. Korpatsch said she was surprised by the reaction, stressing that the two players have a good relationship and are not enemies.

The disagreement continued after the match, with no handshake between the players. Korpatsch said Wang told her she was “not OK with the ball marks,” but she refused to concede the point. “I can’t say I’ll gift her the point,” Korpatsch said, arguing that it would have been unfair to simply award the point to her opponent. She maintained that her decision not to offer her hand afterward was based on principle, not hostility.

Korpatsch also pushed back strongly against the implication that she had acted improperly. She said Wang’s decision to come onto her side of the court was unfair, and that she herself had done nothing wrong. “I’m not an unfair player,” she said, making clear that she believed the officials had made the correct call and that the matter should have ended there.

The incident highlights how tightly contested line calls and video reviews can still create tension in professional tennis, even when technology appears to support the on-court ruling. Korpatsch’s comments suggest that the controversy was less about the actual outcome of the point and more about the interpretation and emotion surrounding the decision.

The exchange also underlines the pressure players face in high-stakes matches, where disagreements can quickly turn personal. While Korpatsch insisted the situation should not damage her relationship with Wang, the lack of a post-match handshake and the public nature of the complaint added to the drama.

In Korpatsch’s view, the facts were straightforward: the ball was out, the umpire confirmed it, Hawk-Eye agreed, and she had no reason to concede the point. Her response was a firm defense of her integrity and a rejection of any suggestion that she had behaved unsportsmanlike.