French Open mixed doubles champion Miyu Kato said Thursday an appeal to have her prize money and tour points reinstated was rejected by tournament organizers following a controversial incident in which she was defaulted for accidentally hitting a ball kid with a ball.

"The French Open (Roland Garros) fined me as well as rejecting my appeal for getting my prize money and points so all I can do is to keep looking forwards," Kato wrote on Twitter.

The 28-year-old and her women's doubles partner Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia were handed a default during their third-round match on June 4 after a ball Kato casually hit to the opposite end of the court between points struck the ball kid and left her in tears.

The match umpire initially gave Kato a warning before protests by the opposing pair, Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic and Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo, prompted the supervisor and referee to enter the court and upgrade the decision.

The penalty caused a wide-ranging controversy, with the Professional Tennis Players Association on June 6 declaring it "unfair" and calling to restore "Miyu's and Aldila's prize money and rankings points, at the very least."

The Associated Press reported a day later that Sutjiadi received her prize money and tour points.

Kato, who said she did not intend to hit the girl with the ball and lodged an appeal to the Grand Slam board, bounced back from the disappointment by winning the mixed doubles final with her German partner Tim Puetz on June 8.

Kato tweeted a photo with the girl, who was holding a present, adding the text, "'I'm glad to hear that you are doing well and continue to volunteer as a ball girl. It makes me very happy to hear this."

Japanese tennis player Miyu Kato (R) and her Indonesian partner Aldila Sutjiadi talk with the umpire during a women's doubles third round match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 4, 2023. The pair were forced to forfeit the match after Kato accidentally hit a ball girl with a ball between points. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Related coverage:

Tennis: Miyu Kato meets ball girl at center of French Open controversy

Tennis: Players association calls Kato French Open default "unfair"

Tennis: Defaulted player apologizes for stray shot that hit ball girl