Luis David Martinez and Cristian Rodriguez fell in the Itajai Challenger quarter-final.
Instead of heading to their next tournament, the Colombian and Venezuelan were sent to prison following racially offensive behavior.
Los doblistas Luis Martínez y Cristian Rodríguez fueron detenidos en Brasil por actos racistas.
Como se puede ver en el vídeo, Martínez realizó un gesto imitando a un mono. Luego, Rodríguez le dijo "macaco" a un ballboy.
Se arriesgan a una pena de cárcel de hasta cinco años. pic.twitter.com/V20iytKnbF
— Ariel Fernández (@AFD7L) January 23, 2026
They fell to Igor Marcondes and Eduardo Ribeiro 6-7, 7-6, 10-2 after two hours and one minute. What should have been a routine conclusion to a tennis contest escalated into a legal matter.
They were accused of racially offensive behavior for their acts and comments toward spectators and tournament staff. According to reports, Martinez reacted to a tight defeat by making racist gestures toward the crowd.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, verbally targeted a club employee (or the ball boy), using a racially charged insult after calling him a monkey. The situation prompted immediate intervention, with Brazilian authorities taking action on site.
The experienced doubles players were detained and charged under Brazilian law. It treats racist conduct as a criminal offense rather than a disciplinary issue.
The case underlines Brazil's strict legal stance on racism and reinforces that behavior crossing that line carries consequences beyond the tennis court.
Itajai Open 2026© Stream screenshot
Rodrigues and Martinez could spent a couple of years in prison following their careless acts, which would likely end their tennis careers. The incident has cast a shadow over the tournament.
It serves as a reminder that professional tennis, at every level, operates under clear standards of conduct. Results may be forgotten, but actions of this nature leave legally lasting repercussions.
Luis David and Cristian lost their temper after a couple of questionable calls. They claimed the opener 7-4 in the tie break and forged a 5-3 advantage in the second set.
Marcondes and Ribeiro made their last push at 4-5 and pulled the break back at the last moment. They saved two match points at 4-6 in the tie break and stole it 8-6 to survive and introduce the match tie break.
The home players took charge and provided four mini-breaks, clinching the breaker 10-2 for a place in the next round. Their rivals could not keep their temper, and it will likely cost them dearly.
