Marton Fucsovics ordered to change shirts at Australian Open

Tennis rules are in focus at the Australian Open after player complaints about some and another obscure rule impacted another game on Tuesday.

Hungarian 31-year-old Marton Fucsovics was told to change his shirt after an official found it breached tournament guidelines. Picture: Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images

Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov was forced to wait to begin his tournament over a bizarre hold-up concerning his opponent’s outfit.

There was a brief delay at John Cain Arena on Tuesday afternoon as Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics was ordered to change his shirt before the first-round match could begin.

The issue appeared to be the number of logos visible on Fucsovics’ top – players are not restricted when it comes to the advertising of approved tennis clothing manufacturers on their kit, but can only display up to two “commercial” logos of a certain size.

Marton Fucsovics changed into this pink shirt after he was told the shirt he wore during the warm-up displayed too many logos. Picture: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP

Fucsovics was allowed to continue the warm-up wearing the original shirt as his team retrieved another for him to wear in the match.

Tennis Australia was contacted for comment regarding the delay.

The intervention from the official did the 31-year-old no harm though as he claimed an early break over Dimitrov, the 13th seed.

Something you don’t see every day, but Marton Fucsovics is told to change his shirt due to too many sponsors being on the sleeve #AusOpen

— Val Febbo (@VFebbo96) January 16, 2024

The Australian Open is the favourite grand slam of the former world No. 3, who has made the quarter-finals three times and reached a semi-final in 2017.

Dimitrov entered the Open fresh off his triumph in the Brisbane International, where he didn’t drop a set after Andy Murray took the first off him in his opening match of the tournament.