Congratultions! You just lost

France's Nicolas Mahut returns the ball to Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin during their French tennis Open first round match at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on May 26, 2014. AFP PHOTO / DOMINIQUE FAGETDOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images

By Eric Wilbur

Less than a minute to read

French tennis player Nicolas Mahut lost his opening match Monday against Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin (6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-4), but that won’t be why he’ll be remembered for becoming the first story line to emerge from the 2014 French Open.

A reporter led off the English-speaking portion of Mahut’s press conference with, “Congratulations.’’

It sort of goes downhill from there.

As you might imagine, the 32-year-old Mahut was a bit perturbed by the exchange with the reporter. “Questions in French, please,’’ he said.

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