Spanish tennis player Jaume Munar found himself in a heated exchange with chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani during his third-round Wimbledon match against Marin Cilic on Court 18.
The confrontation erupted after Munar accidentally collided with a ball boy whilst attempting to return a shot.
The incident occurred with Cilic leading 6-3 3-6 6-2 3-2 and Munar facing a crucial break point.
As the Croatian fired a powerful forehand down the line, Munar scrambled several metres behind the baseline in pursuit of the ball.
Spanish tennis player Jaume Munar found himself in a heated exchange with chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani during his third-round Wimbledon match against Marin Cilic on Court 18.
BBC/PA
After hitting a backhand lob that sailed long, the world no 55 was unable to avoid crashing into the ball kid positioned at the rear of the court.
The Spaniard's frustration was immediately evident as he angrily pointed at the ball kid following the collision.
Having struck the youngster with his racquet during the incident, Munar's temper boiled over after losing the point.
Once his serve was broken, Munar approached Lahyani to protest about the situation.
Tennis umpire Mohamed Lahyani stood his ground in his argument with Jaume Munar
"He has to stay? I hit him with the racquet and he has to stay?" the Spaniard fumed at the chair umpire.
Lahyani's response was measured but firm: "If he's in his position, nothing I can do."
This only served to further inflame Munar, who continued his complaints about the ball boy's positioning and the lack of any let being called.
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Munar refused to accept the umpire's explanation, continuing his tirade: "He cannot move? If if I'm running and I hit him, I hit him and that's it?"
The Spaniard's protests grew more animated as he questioned the rules.
"And we follow, that's it? Not let, nothing? I just destroy him and that's it? I hit him with the racquet," he ranted at Lahyani.
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Despite Munar's vehement objections, the umpire maintained his position that no rule had been broken since the ball kid was in their designated position. The ball kid, fortunately, emerged from the collision unharmed.
The incident marked a turning point in the match, with Munar unable to regain his composure after the confrontation.
His performance deteriorated further as he fell 4-2 behind in the fourth set before ultimately losing the match 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-4.
Marin Cilic is rolling back the years at Wimbledon 2025
ReutersThe defeat ended Munar's Wimbledon campaign whilst Cilic advanced to the fourth round. The 36-year-old Croatian will next face Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli for a place in the quarter-finals.
Cobolli secured his spot in the last 16 with a comfortable victory over Jakub Mensik.
The match between Cilic and Cobolli promises to be an intriguing encounter as both players seek to progress deeper into the tournament.
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