Roland Garros has long been known for its passionate crowds, with French fans building a reputation for being as fervent as their South American or Italian counterparts. This intensity was on full display during Jaume Munar’s five-set showdown against local favorite Arthur Fils. The atmosphere in Paris became a key talking point following the match, as Munar didn’t hold back in criticizing what he deemed “disrespectful” fan behavior.
The highly anticipated match featured France’s top-ranked player, Arthur Fils, currently No. 14 in the ATP rankings, going up against Munar, ranked 57th. Despite the disparity on paper, Munar pushed the French star to the brink.
Fils took the first two sets 7-6, but Munar rallied in commanding fashion, winning the next two sets 6-2, 6-0. In the decisive fifth set, Fils regained control, feeding off the home crowd’s energy to close out the match 6-4.
Munar calls out French fans
In the post-match press conference, Munar criticized the French crowd for their behavior during the match, labeling their conduct as disrespectful and disruptive. “I’m going to be very clear on the subject, and I’m not going to mince my words,” Munar stated. “It’s fine if they encourage the other player, if they shout—I’m used to it. In South America, it’s very intense as well. But what I consider a complete lack of respect—and here, it happens often—is that they sing non-stop, they interrupt continuously. It’s not even a question of emotional or personal impact, it’s simply that play cannot go on as normal”.
Jaume Munar of Spain serves against Arthur Fils of France during the second round of Roland Garros. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Munar also pointed to the differences he has observed at other Grand Slam events, such as the U.S. Open and Australian Open, where crowds are loud but maintain a certain respect for players.
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“At the U.S. Open, it’s a show, but they understand sports differently,” he continued. “They can cheer a lot and have a sense of spectacle, but they never disrespect the players. In Australia, it’s similar. Here in Paris, it’s a bit much. It would be good to calm things down a bit to let play go on more as it should”.
Fils defends the fans
Arthur Fils, who benefited from the home crowd’s energy, came to their defense, arguing that the atmosphere in tennis pales in comparison to other sports like soccer, the NBA, or the NFL.
“When you see the crowds at soccer, here it’s nothing yet,” Fils said. “When you see the crowds in the NBA, it’s nothing, or in the NFL, it doesn’t matter. The atmosphere is crazy, but it’s tennis”.
Fils added that adapting to a partisan crowd is part of the sport, citing his own experience playing in Brazil against Joao Fonseca during the ATP tournament in Rio de Janeiro.
“If they make a little noise before serving, it’s always a little annoying for the opponent, but you have to deal with it; there’s no choice,” he explained. “When I went to Brazil, I played [Joao] Fonseca, I didn’t complain about the crowd. You have to deal with it, there’s no choice”.
