No Grand Slam is complete without the occasional controversial moments. This time, Gael Monfils became a victim of an apparent unjustified judgment call at the US Open. The Frenchman, who was midway through a nerve-racking second-round encounter against Casper Ruud in the Grandstand, was handed a time violation during the showdown. And mind you, he wasn’t happy.

After enduring a two-set deficit against the Norwegian star, Gael Monfils walked back to his bench and took some time to refocus. After all, this was a Grand Slam match, and he still had the opportunity to turn things around. To best prepare himself to mount a comeback, he changed his shirt and the bandages on his fingers. However, he forgot to put on new wristbands.

He realized this after getting up – after the umpire called time – but before walking to the baseline. As soon as he did, he informed the chair umpire and wore on the new ones. All in all, this must’ve taken around 20-30 seconds more between sets than it would’ve had Monfils not forgotten his wristbands. However, owing to the extra time he took, the umpire was forced to hand him a time violation warning right before the World No. 45 started the third set.

Players can receive a time violation warning between points, games, sets, or during a medical timeout. They’re allowed 25 seconds between points. If they exceed that, they get a warning. And if they exceed it again, they lose their first serve (if they’re serving) or a point (if they’re receiving). As for time between sets, it’s usually two minutes. These 120 seconds are what Gael Monfils exceeded, forcing the umpire to hand out the judgment he did. Unhappy with the decision, Monfils started an argument with the umpire, even calling the supervisor out on the court.

“This one is unnecessary,” he said, further questioning, “Why would you give me a time violation? For which reason?” After giving the umpire a play-by-play of everything he did leading up to the warning, the Frenchman addressed the supervisor, saying, “I don’t want to play anymore in these conditions.” But after the official stepped onto the court, the decision didn’t change. As Monfils continued to plead his case, the commentators seemed to understand his frustration, too.

“I kind of understand what he’s saying. He didn’t go off court; he didn’t take more than five minutes…” After sets, players are entitled to a five-minute break if they want to use the bathroom (three minutes) and change their clothes (an extra two minutes). Seeing as Monfils exceeded only the usual two-minute time for non-bathroom break changeovers, the Frenchman (and the commentators) felt a warning may have been harsh. But that anger seemed to have fueled the 37-year-old.

Either the hindrance caused Ruud to lose momentum, or Monfils just upped his game, channeling his frustration into producing a head-turning result – the Frenchman ran away with the third set (6-2). Moreover, it looked like he carried that momentum into the fourth, and the crowd witnessed glimpses of vintage Gael Monfils, who made 37 look like the new 20.

Leading 2-1 in the fourth, Monfils was receiving in the fourth game. Casper Ruud executed a one-two punch that should’ve ended the rally in three shots. But Monfils, being Monfils, chased down the Norwegian’s forehand and returned it. However, he was still on the defensive, and Ruud was making the most of it, making the Frenchman run from side to side and front to back. But in the end – after 12 scintillating exchanges – it was Monfils who hit a passing shot to win a rally for the ages.

While he couldn’t convert that 0-15 lead to a break in that fourth game of the set, it still looked like momentum was on Monfils’ side. That was until their match hit another snag.

Casper Ruud outlasted Gael Monfils, thunder and lightning

Just when Gael Monfils was catching up to Casper Ruud’s pace, their second-round thriller was suspended. With Monfils leading the fourth set 4-3, the duo was instructed to pause the contest amid low visibility. While fans hoped for the showdown to resume shortly after the US Open officials remedied the concerns, their prayers were unsung.

The organizers asked spectators to take shelter, and Monfils and Ruud headed inside. Surprisingly, their match was the only one to witness the harsh circumstances due to inclement weather. After an hour or so, the duo returned to finish their match, but this time, it was Ruud who came out stronger after an interruption.

Leveling the score 4-4, he and Monfils held their respective service games to take the set to a tiebreak. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, the 2022 US Open finalist ran away with it (7-3), winning the set and the match. Interestingly, almost exactly a year ago, Casper Ruud lost a five-setter in the second round on the same court. So, this was him avenging his premature departure from Flushing Meadows in 2023.

That said, what did you make of the time violation warning that Gael Monfils received? Let us know in the comments!