Tennis player kicked out of pro tournament for taking a shower at the wrong time
Professional tennis player Mats Rosenkranz will think twice the next time he steps foot in the shower.
On Wednesday, Rosenkranz won the first set 7-5 over Pietro Orlando Fellin at the ATP Hersonissos Challenger event, needing just one more set to move on to the tournament’s quarterfinal.
Taking a quick shower to freshen up between sets, Rosenkranz headed back out on the court to try to finish out the match.
But the umpire had other plans, disqualifying the world’s No. 358-ranked player from the match and ending his tournament.
Mats Rosenkranz just got disqualified for taking a quick shower after winning the first set. He didn't know it wasn't legal.
Rosenkranz stated "I only took a 10-sec shower" and wasn't told by the umpire that it was forbidden.
— Alex Boroch š¾ (@Alex_Boroch) August 13, 2025
“I only took a 10-sec shower,” Rosenkranz reportedly stated, as per German reporter Alex Boroch.
Mats Rosenkranz got disqualified for going to the toilet to take a shower after winning set 1 against Pietro Orlando Fellin.
He said he didnāt know it wasnāt allowed.
Umpire called supervisor and they decided it was a code violation.
Fellin advances to the quarterfinal.
š„:ā¦ pic.twitter.com/l7dZnXXqsi
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) August 13, 2025
The ATP Tour currently has a three-minute rule for bathroom breaks, with players only getting one per match (for a three-set match) at the end of a set.
Players can also get up to five minutes if they need to change their clothes, but “will only be allowed to leave the court on a set break to change wet shorts/underwear. Shirts, socks, and shoes should be changed on court,” as per ATP rules.
While it sounds a little ridiculous on the surface that you can’t have a quick shower during the break, it does make sense why such a rule would be in place. Tennis breaks are typically shorter than you’d see in a sport like soccer, hockey, football, or basketball, and lengthy showers could obviously cause a longer delay than usual.
And while a “10-second shower” might not have much impact on the result, it could give even a tiny edge to the player, feeling a little more refreshed.
Even still, a smaller penalty, such as a point or a game violation, might’ve sufficed, as a forfeiture seems a little extreme.
The quarter-finalists in the tournament take home ā¬1,545, while Rosenkranz will now take home ā¬900 after bowing out in the second round.
Weirdly, this story has a connection to another infamous bathroom culprit: former world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was notorious for taking extreme bathroom breaks.
In his round of 32 match at the tournament, Rosenkranz defeated Pavlos Tsitsipas, the 20-year-old younger brother of the 27-year-old Stefanos.
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