Tennis fans know that the sport has a time-honored tradition. If a player loses a set 6-0, he or she takes a medical time out or a toilet break. In many cases, the player is not injured.  The time out is a tactic to distract their opponents who are in the zone. The break also helps the player refocus for the next set.

In his first-round match at Lyon, Jannik Sinner lost the first 6-0 to Aslan Karatsev. Sinner took a toilet break after the set. To his horror, when he returned to the court, the chair umpire slapped him a warning for  “unsportsmanlike conduct”.

Sinner’s fault – he didn’t actually “use the toilet” during his break. Typically, an official follows the player to the locker room to “monitor the activities”. That official reported Sinner to the chair umpire, resulting in a warning for Sinner. Had it been an official code violation, Sinner would have faced a hefty fine.

Sinner was apologetic in his post-match presser.

I didn’t know this rule, I will never do it again

-Jannik Sinner

Sinner went on to win the match, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. I am sure tennis players took notice and will update their “toilet break playbooks” to avoid warnings and fines.