Cold post-match handshake overshadows Rune-Ruud match at Roland Garros

Thursday, 02 June 2022 at 21:15

Updated at Friday, 26 July 2024 at 10:03

Rune Holger SerbiaOpen2022 FlorinBaltatoiu3

byNurein Ahmed

Holger Rune and Casper Ruud are two of the best young Scandinavian tennis players on the ATP Tour, but their quarterfinal match at Roland Garros will be remembered for reasons other than tennis.

The 19-year-old Rune has come of age this season, highlighting his rapid progress at the top tier of men's tennis. He won his first ATP title at the BMW Open in Munich in the lead-up to the French Open and was a semifinalist at his most recent tournament in Lyon.

And three days ago, he notched the best win of his young career by ousting last year's runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in a showdown with Norway's Casper Ruud.

Their contest was highly competitive, with Ruud required to show some steely resolve and brilliant defensive skills to overcome the Dane 6-1, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. He will play Croatia's Marin Cilic in the semifinal.

But what transpired during the match and after was what caught the eye and made the headlines. Ruud revealed in his post-match press conference that he called out Rune for his incessant behavior of checking every mark on the court.

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"I told him, 'What, do you need to check every mark? and he told me to be quiet. I asked him 'Maybe that's not the greatest thing to tell your opponent to be quiet when I'm talking to you?' and he said it once more. So that was all that happened. And I didn't exchange any more words with him after this. So that's what he wants to say and behave? That's up to him."

After the match, Rune gave a very cold, no-look handshake, which can be seen in the video below. Ruud was certainly surprised by his beaten opponent's reaction and can be seen shaking his head in disappointment, as he had forgotten any ill motives from the match.