Holger Rune was handed a controversial code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.
The Dane fought Jannik Sinner last year in Monte-Carlo, and they also met this year. Last year, there were disruptions because of the crowd, and the same happened this year, as the crowd in Monaco heavily backed the Italian player, who eventually emerged victorious.
All of that contributed to Rune clashing silently with the crowd for much of the match. He had to deal with them openly supporting Sinner for the most part and then also the pressure of playing one of the best players in the world.
It eventually boiled over in the second set when the Dane got a time violation. It was the right call, but it came at a tough moment because it was 5-5, and Rune was down 0-30 on his serve.
He received a shower of some light boos after receiving the time violation, and Rune then told the crow to stop talking with a hand gesture. The umpire, Damien Dumusois, then stepped in and handed him a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The ruling might have seemed quite harsh at the moment because it wasn't that unsportsmanlike by Rune, and we certainly have seen worse from him and others. For example, Novak Djokovic clashed with the crowd the day before, orchestrating their boos.
The umpire probably wanted to keep the match going and not waste time, which Rune's gesture certainly accomplished. Although Rune's gesture was unnecessary, the umpire could have also asserted control over the situation by trying to silence the crowd instead of going after the player.
Rune wasn't happy about the controversial call and called the supervisor, who calmed the situation down. Eventually, it seemed that the short break helped the Dane, as he won the game and the set, but ultimately lost the match.