Tennis fans have expressed their shock after Japanese tennis player Miyu Kato made new revelations about the basis of her infamous default at the 2023 French Open.Miyu Kato and her partner Aldila Sutjiadi were disqualified from the women's doubles in the third round. The decision was made after Kato inadvertently struck a ball girl in the neck with a ball that wasn’t in play. At the time, the tennis world unanimously protested against the authorities for the seemingly unfair decision.Last week, Kato revealed that her appeal to restore her ranking points and prize money was rejected as well, and she was instead slapped with a fine.She has now shared more details about the series of events that led to her disqualification. The 28-year-old revealed in an interview with CLAY that the authorities cited the ball kid’s gender and the duration she cried for as the reasons for their decision."The umpire and the supervisor talked to me afterward and said, 'If the ballkid was a boy, it would have been ok,'" Miyu Kato said. "They also explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minutes they had to make a decision because if she had stopped after five minutes, everything would have been alright; or if the ball had hit her legs or arms, everything would have been okay. But no, because it was in the neck it was different," she added. Tennis fans were left fuming after the rationale came to light, and bashed the French Open authorities for the "sexist" and "subjective" take on the situation. Many said that the revelation had left them speechless.“I'm not often utterly speechless but on this occasion I am utterly speechless,” one fan wrote.MARIA HENRY@MAZZAROO33I'm not often utterly speechless but on this occasion I am utterly speechless twitter.com/TheTennisLette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1987145Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaI'm not often utterly speechless but on this occasion I am utterly speechless 😶 twitter.com/TheTennisLette…“And these are full grown adults in charge of interpreting and applying the rules. Unreal decision,” another tweeted.Jimmy@RacquettechieAnd these are full grown adults in charge of interpreting and applying the rules. Unreal decision twitter.com/thetennislette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.5145Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaAnd these are full grown adults in charge of interpreting and applying the rules. Unreal decision twitter.com/thetennislette…Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:John Dugger (he/him)@JohnEDuggerSo. Much. Sexism. twitter.com/thetennislette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1962142Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaSo. Much. Sexism. twitter.com/thetennislette…WhiskeyyXhekk 🇨🇦@whiskeyyjackkIF IT WAS A BOY SHE WOULD GET TO PLAY?????????? FUCK OFF twitter.com/TheTennisLette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1862135Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaIF IT WAS A BOY SHE WOULD GET TO PLAY?????????? FUCK OFF twitter.com/TheTennisLette…In my refocus era@sangeetapremiThis is simply disgraceful. The moral arbitrariness of the default rule is underlined yet again, as it was when Djokovic was punished by it in 2020. twitter.com/TheTennisLette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.252Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaThis is simply disgraceful. The moral arbitrariness of the default rule is underlined yet again, as it was when Djokovic was punished by it in 2020. twitter.com/TheTennisLette…Robespierre@brookeabeyerThe rules of tennis are sooo crazy. There is way too much that’s up for interpretation. So the rule if you hit a ball kid: depends on the tournament you’re in, what gender the kid was, whether or not they cried, and how long they cried for (amongst other things) twitter.com/thetennislette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1864135Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaThe rules of tennis are sooo crazy. There is way too much that’s up for interpretation. So the rule if you hit a ball kid: depends on the tournament you’re in, what gender the kid was, whether or not they cried, and how long they cried for (amongst other things) twitter.com/thetennislette…Black Princess Diana@layla_jobThese are stupid and subjective standards. They treated Kato very poorly and me they are covering themselves twitter.com/thetennislette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1864135Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaThese are stupid and subjective standards. They treated Kato very poorly and me they are covering themselves twitter.com/thetennislette…Eminence@Prince_EminenceSee how ridiculous this is. With this theory, feminism is a facade. twitter.com/TheTennisLette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1865135Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaSee how ridiculous this is. With this theory, feminism is a facade. twitter.com/TheTennisLette…vignesh@vigneshriyer22No words twitter.com/TheTennisLette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1963142Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaNo words 🎾 twitter.com/TheTennisLette…suGar Yoshinaga@sugaryoshinaga. @rolandgarros .. so wrong in so many ways🤦‍♀️ twitter.com/thetennislette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.3135Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXa. @rolandgarros .. so wrong in so many ways🤦‍♀️ twitter.com/thetennislette…JpClinton@jp_clintonThis is why feminism and fight for equality is a scam. You can't pick and choose your fight for equality. twitter.com/TheTennisLette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1135Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaThis is why feminism and fight for equality is a scam. You can't pick and choose your fight for equality. twitter.com/TheTennisLette…Reem@reemsaiedThis is shocking and shows how poor the umpire and supervisor thinking was. twitter.com/thetennislette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.18651Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaThis is shocking and shows how poor the umpire and supervisor thinking was. twitter.com/thetennislette…Stephen@slomo_delpo@TheTennisLetter They took away her prize money AND points AND kicked her partner out of the tournament AND fined her AND THIS WAS THE RATIONALE?!!!31@TheTennisLetter They took away her prize money AND points AND kicked her partner out of the tournament AND fined her AND THIS WAS THE RATIONALE?!!!Duggu Tej@duggu_tej@TheTennisLetter So that’s how they are doing things these daysNiceGood to knowWhat if the player cry for a little longer than the ball kid?Will they forfeit the opponent?2@TheTennisLetter So that’s how they are doing things these daysNiceGood to knowWhat if the player cry for a little longer than the ball kid?Will they forfeit the opponent?June 🎾 The Show 🎶 OT5 🐝🌈🏠@trailsn_waves@TheTennisLetter Sounds like they made up their own rule as the moment unfolded. Unbelievable 🤦‍♀️8@TheTennisLetter Sounds like they made up their own rule as the moment unfolded. Unbelievable 🤦‍♀️Tim Russell the Love Muscle@GangstaTRussellFrom the outside looking in, this makes professional tennis look like a total joke. twitter.com/thetennislette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.1960142Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaFrom the outside looking in, this makes professional tennis look like a total joke. twitter.com/thetennislette…🄺🄰🅁🅈🌱@casperskaffeBoys cry tooBoys feel tooFfs twitter.com/TheTennisLette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.3142Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaBoys cry tooBoys feel tooFfs twitter.com/TheTennisLette…Audrey@audreyveronneThis is so embarrassing. Imagine keeping someone’s prize money because of a ball kid’s active tear ducts. “Sorry she cried for too long” twitter.com/thetennislette…The Tennis Letter@TheTennisLetterMiyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words.18781Miyu Kato:“The umpire & supervisor told me ‘If the ballkid was a boy, it would’ve been ok.’ They explained to me that since the girl cried for more than 15 minthey had to make a decision, bc if she had stopped after 5 minutes, everything would have been alright’”No words. https://t.co/UkXKPEroXaThis is so embarrassing. Imagine keeping someone’s prize money because of a ball kid’s active tear ducts. “Sorry she cried for too long” twitter.com/thetennislette…"It is what it is" – What French Open director Amelie Mauresmo said about Japanese tennis player Miyu Kato's disqualificationAmelie Mauresmo at the 2023 French OpenFrench Open director Amelie Mauresmo has defended the tournament’s decision to default Miyu Kato, despite the public outrage.Days after the incident, the former player and two-time Slam winner stated that the authorities had to make a quick but informed decision after assessing the situation.“The decision has been made by the tour supervisor and the referee," Mauresmo said. "Without seeing the video, you come to the court. You have to make a judgment based on something that you didn't see, based on the fact that someone is reporting to you."She also admitted that the ball girl’s reaction to the incident was taken into consideration while making the decision.“When you see a ball girl cry for that long, I guess that's when you have to make some kind of decision," she said. "It's just facts. I'm not going to comment on whether it's good or bad. It is what it is."While Miyu Kato was defaulted from the women’s double category, she was allowed to contest the mixed doubles event, where she emerged victorious and lifted her maiden Grand Slam title.Mauresmo suggested that the tournament could have sanctioned the player entirely, but refrained from doing so.“It was also the decision of the tournament to keep her in the mixed doubles, which I think was also something positive at least for her,” she said.