Australian Open Umpire Criticizes Tennis Pro Benchetrit for Asking Ball Girl to Peel His Banana

French tennis player Elliot Benchetrit was criticized by an umpire during his qualifying match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday, January 18, for asking a ball girl to peel his banana.

According to reports, the World No. 229 was midway through his qualifying match against Kazakhstan’s Dmitry Popko when he decided to eat a banana.

However, rather than peel it himself, the 21-year-old asked a nearby ball girl to do it for him.

Footage recorded by Tennisportalen’s Alex Theodoridis shows the ball girl handling the banana before the umpire tells Benchetrit to peel it himself.

Benchetrit, whose fingers on his right hand were heavily taped up, then attempted to open the banana with his teeth before throwing it in a bag.

The Frenchman came from behind in his qualifying game against Popko to win 4-6 6-2 6-3. Credit: Tennisportalen/Alex Theodoridis via Storyful