Hubert Hurkacz’s unusual request during his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov was nothing like anyone has ever seen during a match. The casual conversation between the players about a change of umpire mid-match shocked the tennis world. Wondering about the level of frustration that he must go through during the match to end up teaming up with his own rival on-court, sparked curiosity among many tennis enthusiasts. However, tuning in to voice his opinions, Holger Rune’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, revealed his hilarious reactions to the matter.

Re-sharing an X post that showcased the video of the conversation that took place between the players, the French tennis coach and sports commentator wrote, “When Hurcacz asks Dimitrov to change the chair umpire during the match 😂.” The laughing emoji further emphasizes how he finds it to be funny!

The whole incident took place during the changeover in the third set, when the Bulgarian tennis pro was already leading by 6-5. On the other hand, the 27-year-old player from Poland was frustrated at the chair umpire (Alison Hughes) because of her line calls. Even during the eighth set when Dimitrov paused his game to circle a mark on-court far away, the umpire refrained from calling it an “out call.” This further enraged Hubert Hurkacz.

Needless to say, by then, Dimitrov was already showing his best form on-court, which further frustrated Hurkacz. With no option on his mind, he made an uncommon request at first during the changeover with a hand gesture that indicated that he wanted a change of umpire. But then, he took it even further and went to Dimitrov and asked, “G, you wanna make a change? Or you want to continue with the lady here?” When Dimitrov asked him again, he again asked, “I mean, if you want to continue with the lady here, or you’re fine, or you want to change. That’s what I am saying. Up to you.”

Confused at first, Dimitrov finally replied, “Honestly, it’s whatever you want.” Despite the request, no change followed. On top of it, Grigor Dimitrov skillfully went on and qualified for the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the first time! However, after the match, both brushed away the seriousness of what happened on-court regarding the umpire change.

Hubert Hurkacz explained the difficulties regarding matches on clay

The former world No. 8, Hubert Hurkacz, was dissatisfied throughout his latest match in Paris. However, his performance in the French Open has improved from his performance in Paris. In 2023, he left the court after the third round. But this time, he went a step further. Even then, his frustration was palpable after the match, especially at the umpire.

“It’s clay court, so it’s sometimes difficult when the balls are really close. Just it’s really close from time to time. Definitely some of the calls. You wish they are different way, but it’s just the way it is and you gotta accept that thing.”

Defending his opponent, Dimitrov also spoke on the subject and said, “I think the thing is we all can say very difficult things in the heat of a moment. I am sure whatever he said was not meant in a bad way. Also, the empires, they are trying their best. It’s a tricky business out there when the ball gets so close to the line.” Although, this year, Hubert Hurkacz’s journey stopped early in Paris, hopefully, he will come back stronger and better next year!