Insane drama at Roland Garros! The 20-year-old Frenchman, Arthur Fils, defied all odds, including a back injury, to secure a spot in the third round of the 2025 French Open. Home favorite Fils looked to be in a comfortable position in the match after securing the first two sets by 7-6(3) and 7-6(4), but things took a wild turn after that. He was seen struggling a bit with his movement, and as a result, he lost the third set by 2-6, and then even in the fourth set, Jaume Munar secured a thumping 6-0 before going down in the fifth set to the French Open. But interestingly, after this match, the Spaniard made a bizarre claim about Fils’ injury. What did he say, though?

In the post-match press conference, Munar said that he doesn’t believe that Arthur Fils has a real injury. Following his 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 2-6, 0-6, 6-4 defeat, the world number 57, Jaume Munar, stated, “If you have a real injury, you don’t play the fifth set like he did… I saw him drinking pickle juice in the last sets.”

Moreover, he went on to add, “He was attended by the doctor due to an alleged back injury, but I am convinced what he suffered were cramps. In that case, he couldn’t have been attended. The break didn’t bother me, but that’s the way it is. If you have a real injury, you don’t play the fifth set like he did. I have suffered many cramps throughout my career, suffered a lot because of them, and I know perfectly well how it works. You have a huge drop for a while, and when you no longer feel competitive and consider the match lost, the tension drops, the cramps ease a bit, and you return to your level. Additionally, I saw him drinking pickle juice in the last sets, so it’s clear what happened.”

The crowd was extremely vocal in this match, and seeing this, Fils couldn’t contain his excitement in front of them after the match. He took his shirt off as he played up to the crowd during his celebration after this five-set thriller, pumped his fists, and threw his shirt into the stands at the Court Suzanne-Lenglen. The moment he threw his shirt towards the stand, the crowd literally went into a tug-of-war-like situation to grab it. Seeing this insane drama, American tennis legend John McEnroe claimed, “If I had a body like that, I would take my shirt off also.” However, Munar had quite a few complaints after this match. What else did he say, though?

In his post-match press conference, he called it a “rollercoaster” match whose fate was decided in the third set after Arthur Fils began to have physical problems. Following his complaints about Fils’ “alleged back injury,” Jaume Munar also took a jibe at the French crowd for their behavior.

Reflecting more on that, Munar said, “Look, I’m going to be very sincere. I find it perfect if they cheer for the other player; I’m very used to that, and it doesn’t bother me. What is an absolute lack of respect is not stopping singing, shouting nonsense, and constantly interrupting because it prevents the game from progressing and unfolding normally. They engage in a very entertaining show for the audience, but they don’t realize that we are doing our job. It’s the most annoying and fanatic crowd in the world; the flag weighs too much here.”

He drew a comparison with other Slams, saying people in New York and Australia understand sports differently. “They can cheer a lot and have a sense of spectacle, but they never disrespect the players. In this tournament, it is necessary for people to calm down a bit because this is a real circus.” What did Arthur Fils say after this match, though?

Arthur Fils names his biggest inspiration after his incredible comeback win

Last year, during an interview at Roland Garros, Arthur Fils was asked if he could make one dream come true in his career, what would it be? In reply to that question, he had then said, “I want to win a Grand Slam. It doesn’t have to be at Roland-Garros; I just want to win a Grand Slam. It’s what we all dream of.” In 2024, he faced an early exit at the hands of Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi, but this year things have been a bit different. His resilience in both of his previous matches has truly been praiseworthy.

Talking about his own game during an interview with Olympics.com, Fils said, “I would say that my game is polarizing. Either you like me or not, I’ll be watched anyway. I like to be explosive when I play, I love to enjoy the moments I spend on court, to have as much fun as possible, and smile every time.” Even several tennis experts, like Coco Gauff’s ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, had admitted, “I like his game. He plays big for his size. The next thing for him, you know, is making a deep run at a major. Fils being French, you know there’s the expectation.” Even Craig Boyton stated that he’s quite impressed with his efficient forehand, speed, and power game.

But what really pushed Arthur Fils to get that extra bit of push in this hard-fought battle against Jaume Munar? Fils had a 2-0 record over the Spaniard; now, with this win, it has become 3-0. But interestingly, after this match, Fils revealed, “I was in the five-set and I was thinking of Gael (Monfils). Gael had to turn around a lot of matches in five sets. So I thought, Arthur, this is yours. You have to do the same. Go for it.”

He even thanked the crowd for their incredible support throughout this match. But with this win, he is now all set to face the two quarterfinaliststs (2020, 2022) at the French Open, Andrey Rublev, in the next round. Do you think Fils can overcome that massive hurdle on Parisian clay?