Playing at the French Open, it is not easy to face the local players. Ask the Spanish star, Jaume Munar, who had a tough time earlier today during his match against Arthur Fils. The Frenchman is the biggest French hope in the tournament, and obviously, the crowd had to be vocal in support of him. This sparked a wild reaction from him after the match, to which American tennis legend John McEnroe had an interesting reaction.

Following his five-set victory over the Spaniard, Fils took off his shirt and sparked wild celebrations. Against the run of play, Fils took the fifth set 6-4 to seal the contest after Munar had won the third and the fourth sets. Fils, widely known for his big serve and athletic body, was praised by McEnroe after the match.

The American legend revealed, “If I had a body like that I would take my shirt off also.” During his playing days, McEnroe was also known for his unconventional style of celebration and it is no surprise that he could engage in such celebration as done by Arthur Fils today.

It hasn’t been an easy tournament for Arthur Fils, having had to dig deep in his matches. Earlier, in the first round, he defeated Nicolas Jarry in a tough 4 sets. Subsequently, he had to dig deep to get past Munar in the second round and keep the French hopes alive in the tournament. Although Fils started the match on the front foot against Munar, winning the first two sets 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), he lost the momentum and started making a lot of errors. In a seesaw battle, Munar leveled the encounter by winning the next two sets 6-2, 6-0. However, Fils kept his calm and handled pressure well to seal the contest.

Further, Fils also had the added advantage of playing in front of his home crowd. The French Open fans have been quite infamous for their vocal support of the local players and often invited the wrath of the opposition.

Beyond Arthur Fils, Novak Djokovic and others blast the hostile French Open crowd

Over the past years, there have been several incidents of the French Open crowd going after the opposition players. Take the example of Novak Djokovic, who has often been booed during his matches. Moreover, Djokovic is currently playing a French player, Corentin Moutet, in the second round and issued a caution before the match.

He said, “It’s a battle out there, you know. Sometimes, it’s not just a battle with the player. They’re going to have the crowd on their side. It’s nothing strange about it. It’s expected. But it is true that here in France and in Paris, comparing to other Slams, the people are louder and more passionate and just give more support, louder support, more energy to their player, which for some (opponents) can be annoying.”

Another player, Nicolas Jarry, had some strong words after facing French players at Roland Garros. He revealed, “Disgusting. Worst experience of my life.”  Nonetheless, with Arthur Fils going strong at the tournament, the French crowd can bank on him to deliver the goods at the French Open.