Terence Atmane and Jaume Munar are locked in a fierce battle at the US Open. The first-round match features numerous medical timeouts, and at one point, the physio even refuses to treat the players. Expert Philipp Kohlschreiber has his suspicions.
What a wild roller-coaster ride at the US Open: The first-round match between Terence Atmane and Jaume Munar offered not only five nail-biting sets but also a number of oddities—including antics, minor arguments, and trouble with the physical therapist.
In the end, Munar came back from a 0–2 set deficit to win 6–7 (5–7), 3–6, 6–1, 7–6 (7–4), and 7–5. After four hours and 54 minutes, the crazy match was over.
US Open: Numerous medical timeouts for Munar and Atmane
But first things first: Munar initially complained of physical discomfort. With the score at 3–2 in the first set, the Spaniard called the physio onto the court and had his right foot treated and bandaged.
Atmane took the first set 7–6 (7–5). In the second set, it was he who called the medical staff onto the court. The left-hander had already had his left arm taped beforehand. With the score at 2–1 in the second set, he had fresh tape applied.
The Frenchman also secured the second set (6–3) before tempers flared. With the score at 1–0 and 40–40 in the third set, Atmane then took a medical timeout in the middle of play. He subsequently received treatment on his thigh.
Munar Levels Accusations Against Atmane
Munar suspected, however, that his opponent wasn’t actually injured at all, but was merely experiencing cramps. Medical timeouts aren’t allowed for cramps. “We all know what’s going on—and what are we doing about it?” said the 29-year-old.
As the match continued, Munar consistently played drop shots, chasing Atmane all over the court. Then things got wild: Atmane, who usually serves with his left hand, began mixing in underarm serves and at times even served with his right hand. The cramps had apparently spread to his left wrist as well. Munar won the set 6–1.
After the third set, Atmane took a bathroom break and disappeared into the locker room, partly to buy some time to recover. For the world No. 92, this physical setback didn’t come out of nowhere. Back in April, Atmane had already experienced cramps during his match against his compatriot Ugo Humbert in Madrid. At that time, Atmane managed to pull through and win the match in a third-set tiebreak.
In the fourth set, Munar complained to the chair umpire and asked to speak with the supervisor. He believed that Atmane was receiving coaching during the match and should have been penalized long ago for taking too long on his serve.
Physical therapist refuses treatment
As the match progressed, Atmane recovered somewhat. The fourth set was fiercely contested, but he lost it in a tiebreak (4–7).
Things then got really heated in the decisive set. With the score at 1–2, Atmane called the physical therapist onto the court again, but no treatment took place. “The physical therapist is essentially refusing to help him. He wants to be treated. He says he’s in pain. The physical therapist is accusing him of not being in pain,” said Philipp Kohlschreiber in his role as an expert analyst for Sky.
Atmane kept pleading with the physical therapist. “I’m in pain. I need treatment. Pain. Pain! No cramps. Can you please stop acting so silly?” said the Frenchman—but the physio was already on his way off the court. “Come back! Come back,” Atmane called after him and said to himself, “I’m going to find out his name.”
Kohlschreiber draws a comparison to Alcaraz
Meanwhile, Kohlschreiber had the following suspicion: “We’re on an outdoor court now. What happened to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open? You don’t have to be an expert in the field to know. He was suffering from severe cramps. And people came and treated him. That’s sometimes the two-tier system in tennis. That wouldn’t happen to a top star on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium. No physical therapist in the world would stand there and say, ‘Hey, you’re lying to my face.’ And that’s exactly what he’s now being accused of,” Kohlschreiber stated clearly.
When Munar took a 3–2 lead, he suddenly started talking to himself. “We need a clown for this circus,” said the Spaniard. A few more intense rallies followed, and the atmosphere on Court 13 was electric. Somehow, Munar won the fifth set 7–5 and with it, the match.
At the net, an extremely cool handshake ensued between the two players. In the second round, Munar will face Atmane’s compatriot Arthur Rinderknech.