Australian Alex de Minaur hits out at crowd behaviour in Paris after French Open defeat

Boisterous home crowds in Australia can help locals but the reverse happened to Alex de Minaur in Paris.

Australia's Alex de Minaur has been bundled out of the French Open. Picture: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP

Shattered Alex de Minaur declared French fans crossed the line with their support of local Hugo Gaston, who ended the Australian’s campaign at Roland Garros in a five-set stunner.

De Minaur had to deal with boos and jeers during the opening round clash on Court Suzanne Lenglen and said he was “getting told things” by people in the crowd who threw their patriotic support behind 21-year-old Gaston, who won 4-6 6-2 6-3 0-6 7-6 (10-4).

Similar crowds supporting Australians at home have often been criticised by players at the Australian Open, but de Minaur was still put off by the behaviour of some of the crowd during the match, which was decided by a fifth-set tie-break.

“There’s a difference between a great atmosphere and supporting your fellow countryman, which is completely fine and it’s great,” he said.

“I’m sure for him it was an amazing atmosphere. He enjoyed every second of it, but there’s a line.

“When I’m getting told things by people in the crowd, making eye contact with me after I hit a double fault, I think there’s a certain line that needs to be looked at.”

Supporters hold a French flag for Hugo Gaston. Picture: by Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP

But de Minaur didn’t want to elaborate on the particulars of the crowd’s behaviour and not take it any further after his shattering loss.

“I’d rather not get into what was being said,” he said.

“Ideally, I will sleep tonight and forget all about it, but I have a feeling that won’t be the case.

“What I have got to do now is put this behind me. Easier said than done but I will do my best.”

Alex de Minaur and Gaston meet at the net after their marathon match. Picture: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

De Minaur’s shock exit as the 19th seed, and that of fellow Aussie John Millman, leaves Jason Kubler as the only Australian left in the second-round draw, while the country’s top two women, Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville, have also made it past the first round.

Millman went down to American Sebastian Korda in a 6-1 7-5 7-6 (8-6) defeat.