Monte-Carlo Masters: Furious ATP Pros Question Controversial Umpiring Following Holger Rune’s Debacle

Red-haired Holger Rune and controversies walk hand in hand. Even though he lost to Jannik Sinner in a thrilling three-set match in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo tournament, there seemed to have been a lot of on-court drama leading up to that loss. The Danish tennis player was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct warning that came with a lot of boos from the crowd and an argument with the chair umpire.

But now, after the whole quarter-final chaos, Tennys Sandgren, an American tennis player, came up to stand by Rune’s act, defending how the action against him does not go with the reaction he gave on the court. Let’s take a look at what tennis players believe regarding the whole crowd booing situation that went out of hand.

Holger Rune receives support for his recent controversial act

During his play in the Monte-Carlo Masters, the Dane was given two warnings in a row, which led to a heated exchange. After a time violation, the audience reacted angrily to the No. 7 seed, and he responded with a talking motion that prompted another warning for unsportsmanlike behavior. Disappointed with the course of events, Rune chose to ask to talk with the supervisor in order to bring the problem to a higher level.

Looking into that, the 32-year-old American tennis player recently commented on a post that was shared by the Tennis Channel, sharing his take on the same. He stated, “HUH?!? This is crazy tbh. No way he should be coded for this.”

While the empire was not handling the crowd going crazy, the 20-year-old took matters into his own hands and literally went against him, in terms of his on-court personality and the result of the game. After Sandgren shared his take on even a popular Australian tennis player, Thanasi Kokkinakis also commented on the post and wrote, “So bad.”

However, both of them were clearly on the page that the way Rune responded to the situation might be tough, but it was not something that could receive a code violation. On the other hand, Mike Pereira’s comment from the commentators’ box during the game during the game also highlighted how his attempt to provoke the fans backfired on him.

Was Rune trying to provoke the crowd against him?

While the chaos on the court was going on, Perera had a totally different take on what was going on. He stated, “He wants to give a bit back. Maybe to allow himself a bit more time. So he has a warning for both time and unsportsmanlike conduct.”

But on the other hand, the world-ranked 7th-ranked tennis player was fighting back and forth, over his reaction, as he even called the supervisor to argue for his warning that came from the chair umpire. In the midst of the debate and frustration, Rune discovered a newfound resolve, and this drama increased as the set finally went to a tiebreak. He continued to fight for his position but eventually got lost in the chaos.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Rune’s reaction on the court? Do let us know in the comment section below.

Read more: EXCLUSIVE: Holger Rune Opens up on His US Open Match Against Novak Djokovic and His Breakthrough 2021 Season