The 2023 Madrid Open tournament has been an exciting event so far, with many young and talented players showcasing their talents on the clay court. However, one player who has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons is 19-year-old ATP star Holger Rune. Known for his fiery temperament on the court, Rune’s antics during his match against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina drew the ire of the crowd, leading to a wave of boos and jeers directed at him.

The Danish ATP star has performed exceptionally well in the lead-up to the Madrid Open. He reached the finals of Monte Carlo Masters and won the Bavarian International tournament the previous week. However, during his third-set tiebreak match against Fokina, Rune’s mid-match argument caused a stir among the crowd. In the closely contested first set, both players were evenly matched. However, Rune’s service, at a crucial moment, ignited controversy.

Rising ATP star lands himself in a new controversy on the tennis court

In the match, Fokina and the chair umpire believed that Rune’s second serve was out. However, the electronic line was quick to call it in. This resulted in Fokina approaching the chair umpire and calling for the match supervisor. While the two argued over the call, Rune went to the mark on the opposite side of the court. His foot appeared to land very close to where the ball had landed. Many fans booed when it looked as if Rune was trying to erase the mark. As a result of Rune’s actions, the crowd became hostile toward him, and he was heckled for the remainder of the match.

Fans cheered every fault and double fault during the game, leading to an argument with the chair umpire. The crowd was firmly behind Fokina, who eventually won the match 7-6(1), 5-7, 7-6(5).

The official Twitter handle of the Tennis Letter tweeted, “Holger Rune is being booed between 1st & 2nd serves. This is not okay. The crowd has every right to cheer for Davidovich Fokina, but booing & distracting while someone is trying to play tennis is wrong Keep tennis compassionate.”

Fans also tweeted about the controversial incident.

This isn’t the first time that Rune has attracted controversy on the court. The Danish player has a history of having a rollercoaster relationship with fans and other players. His fiery temperament always gets the best of him. However, his actions at the Madrid Open were particularly egregious. For his recent actions, he has received criticism from tennis fans worldwide on social media.

Rune vented out his frustration at Twitter trolls after the 2023 Indian Wells controversy

When Stan Wawrinka recently defeated Rune at Indian Wells, nobody expected the drama to last this long. Despite this setback, Rune is focused on getting back on track with intense determination. However, he has not been able to escape brutal comments from Twitter trolls, to which he has been quick to reply. Although most fans responded kindly to his tweet, one Twitter account posted a GIF of Jeremy Clarkson putting an “L” on his forehead, which stands for loser. Rune lost his temper at this response and questioned the account’s motives. Despite fans’ encouragement to stay calm and ignore trolls, Rune appears to be affected by the comments.

Understandably, Rune would be frustrated with the trolling he’s been receiving. Do you think tennis players should just ignore the trolls and negative comments they receive on social media? Share your comments below.