French Davis Cup captain involved in awkward exchange with journalist as team lose to Belgium, ‘I won’t tell you’

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France exited the Davis Cup at the quarterfinal stage, losing 2-0 to their neighbours, Belgium.

The French sent out showman Corentin Moutet to play breakout star Raphael Collignon in the first match.

Moutet had the advantage against Collignon, but decided to go for a ‘tweener’ during the latter stages of the match, a decision that came back to haunt him.

In three sets, Collignon defeated Moutet, handing Belgium a 1-0 lead, moving them to within touching distance of the last four.

Then, Zizou Bergs beat Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to send Belgium through to the semifinals.

During the post-match press conference, French Davis Cup captain Paul-Henri Mathieu was involved in an awkward exchange with a reporter when asked if he had spoken to Moutet, following his costly error against Collignon.

Paul-Henri Mathieu refuses to talk to the media about his conversations with Corentin Moutet

“What did the captain say to [Corentin] Moutet after the match that he lost because of that crazy shot that everyone saw?” asked a journalist in the press conference.

“I didn’t see him yet because we play a match after Moutet. Arthur was on court, so I was on the bench. We came straightaway here, so…” replied Mathieu.

“Not going to say anything?” asked the reporter.

“I didn’t see him yet,” said Mathieu.

“I ask you,” added the journalist.

“I didn’t see him yet. I didn’t see Moutet yet,” replied Mathieu.

Mathieu delivered a stern response when the reporter continued to push him for an answer.

“What are you going to tell him after?” they asked.

“I won’t tell you,” said Mathieu.

“If I want to say something to the players, I’m going to say something to the players, not to the media.”

He proceeded to give his honest verdict on Moutet’s ‘moment’ in the second set.

“No reaction. I mean, we lose. Lost one point. The main thing, just to try to win the match. You have to adapt to every guy when sometimes it’s tough to understand,” said Mathieu.

“Everybody reacts differently. Yeah, no reaction. I was just, of course, thinking, just to turn it around, maybe a bit. Just try to help him win the match afterwards.”

It wasn’t to be, however, as Moutet and France exited the competition at the quarterfinal stage.

The side will have to wait another year before they can look to add another Davis Cup title to their trophy cabinet…

When did France last win the Davis Cup?

France won their fourth and most recent Davis Cup title back in 2017.

They began their campaign in Tokyo, taking on Japan in the last 16, picking up a 4-1 win away from home.

France vs Japan – 2017 Davis Cup R16

Moving on to the quarterfinals, France headed home to take on Great Britain.

France vs Great Britain – 2017 Davis Cup QF

Picking up another 4-1 win, France secured their spot in the Davis Cup semifinals.

There, they stayed at home, welcoming a Novak Djokovic-less Serbia side.

France vs Serbia – 2017 Davis Cup SF

Battling back from a 1-0 deficit, France won 3-1 to book their place in the final, where they took on Belgium.

Winning their fourth title and their first since 2001, France beat Belgium 3-2 in a Davis Cup classic.

France vs Belgium – 2017 Davis Cup F

Only time will tell if France can return to the top of the world in 2026, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

For now, the Davis Cup continues in Bologna, as Italy take on Austria in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, November 19.