French Tennis Star Rinderknech's Self-Induced Injury Ends Dream at French Open

French tennis player Arthur Rinderknech suffered a bizarre and self-induced injury during the second round of the French Open on Thursday, forcing him to retire from his match against Argentina's Tomás Martín Etcheverry despite leading 6-3, 7-6 (8), 6-1.

A bizarre and self-induced injury in the second round of the French Open on Thursday night ended in heartbreak for French tennis player Arthur Rinderknech.

Rinderknech, 28, was forced to retire from his match against Argentina's Tomás Martín Etcheverry in the fourth set, despite leading 6-3, 7-6 (8), 6-1, after he injured his foot during an emotional outburst on the court.

The No. 69 ranked player took an early lead before the home crowd on Thursday night, when Etcheverry came back to win the third and take a 2-0 lead in the fourth.

After hitting one into the net on deuce, Rinderknech walked toward the back of the court before smacking his own racket and then kicked an advertisement board in front of a row of fans with his left foot.

He appeared to briefly stumble before continuing on. He required a medical break two games later to treat the injured foot, but eventually had to retire from the match.

"I feel very good physically, but I just messed up." Rinderknech told local French media, via ESPN. "I kicked into the wall, a little annoyed, at 2-0 when I got broken in the fourth set. I don't really know at the moment, but I hope I didn't break my toe. Afterwards, I could no longer put my foot on the ground."

The incident follows another emotional outburst from fellow Frenchman Terence Atmane, who apologized earlier this week after he hit a woman with a ball that he launched into the crowd in what he called a "moment of frustration."

Rinderknech's retirement marked a disappointing end to his French Open campaign, as he had been hoping to make a deep run in front of his home crowd.

Etcheverry, meanwhile, moved on to the third round, where he will play Casper Ruud.

The incident also raised concerns about the mental health of tennis players, who often face intense pressure to perform at the highest level.

Rinderknech's outburst was a reminder that even the most talented athletes can struggle with their emotions on the court.

It is unclear whether Rinderknech will face any disciplinary action from the French Tennis Federation for his actions.

However, the incident is sure to be a talking point in the tennis world for some time to come.