Holger Rune demands supervisor at Monte-Carlo Masters after warning for crowd gesture

Holger Rune was warned for making a gesture to the crowd

Holger Rune sat down and demanded to see the supervisor when he received back-to-back warnings at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The No. 7 seed was booed for getting a time violation and responded by making a talking gesture with his hand. He received another warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, prompting him to call for the supervisor.

Rune found himself in a tough spot during the second set of his Monte Carlo quarter-final against Jannik Sinner. After losing the first set 6-4, the Dane trailed 0-30 on his serve at 5-5 in the second when he received a time violation.

The spectators immediately started jeering and booing the 20-year-old in response and he was up for some confrontation, putting his fingers together to make a ‘blah-blah’ gesture. But his attempts at provoking the fans backfired as umpire Damien Dumusois gave him a code violation.

“He wants to give a bit back. Maybe to allow himself a bit more time,” Mikey Perera said on commentary. “So he has a warning for both time and unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Holger Rune called the supervisor to argue his warning from the umpire

Rune stormed towards the umpire’s chair to question his latest warning. “I didn’t say the bad words,” he argued. “It’s like to say be quiet so if I said to you be quiet, it’s a warning?” Last year’s finalist wasn’t happy with the official’s response, asking to see the supervisor for some clarification.

“Call the supervisor. I want to ask him the question of how could you give me a warning. Come now,” he added, sitting on his bench in protestation as Sinner waited at the baseline. Cedric Mourier took to the court, speaking to Dumusois before turning his attention to Rune.

“I didn’t say the bad word so I don’t understand why he gives me the warning. I understand why he gives me the time violation, I deserved that,” the 20-year-old told the supervisor. “But I don’t deserve an unsportsmanlike conduct and ‘have to pay a fine for not even being rude. Of course it’s telling them to be quiet but it’s not a bad word to say quiet.”

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Rune eventually returned to the court and resumed play as the fans continued to boo. The world No. 7 dug himself out of a hole after facing a triple break point.

And the moment of frustration gave him a new lease of life. The set went to a tiebreak where the Dane had another issue with the umpire, this time related to a line call in the clay. But he was able to save two match points to force a decider, taking the dramatic second set 7-6(6).

Rune had some chances to break in the final set but he couldn’t take them and it was Sinner who went on to win 6-4 6-7(6) 6-3. The world No. 7 was booed as he departed the court and he repeated the hand gesture in response.