As players shift focus from tour battles to representing their countries at the Davis Cup, the drama refuses to take a break. Leading Denmark’s charge was Holger Rune, the rising star known as much for his fearless shot-making as for his fiery temperament. Never one to shy away from controversy, the young Dane once again stole the spotlight.

On Sunday at the Club de Tenis Puente Romano in Marbella, Denmark’s Rune met Spain’s Pedro Martínez in the fourth clash of the series. The world No. 11 stepped in as the clear favorite against the 28-year-old ranked No. 67, with a shot to seal Denmark’s place in the Finals 8. Instead, in a tense three-set struggle, he stumbled and walked away on the losing end.

But that wasn’t the only twist. When the match ended, the Dane greeted his opponent at the net. A clip shared on X, showing Holger Rune reaching for the umpire before pulling back, shrugging it off, and refusing the handshake altogether. The moment sparked heavy debate online.

Three hours and 16 minutes of nonstop drama, and Rune still couldn’t close it out. He served for the match at 5-3 in the third, even holding a match point. But he let it slip. Martinez roared back, pushed it to a tie-break, and then dominated to win 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(3). That leveled the tie for Spain. Soon after, Pablo Carreño Busta (No. 123) sealed the comeback, defeating Elmer Moller (No. 113) 6-2, 6-3 in the decider.

It all started brightly for Denmark. Rune overpowered Carreno. Moller stunned Spain’s No. 1, Jaume Munar. But the momentum flipped fast. Munar and Pedro edged out Holmgren/Ingildsen in a grueling three-set doubles clash. Then came the shocker: Spain’s captain David Ferrer benched his top-ranked player for singles. He threw in the Pedro instead. The gamble worked.

Martinez came out flying. He tore through the opener 6-1 in just 35 minutes, using his clay-court skills and the home crowd to reel off five straight games. Holger Rune answered back, lifting his first-serve percentage from 45% to 73% and running off four games in a row to take the second 6-4. The final set was pure tension. Rune broke for 5-3 but failed to close it out. Martinez clawed back, forced the breaker, and sprinted away 7-3.

In the end, it was joy for Spain, despair for Rune, who refused to shake the umpire’s hand in frustration. But that wasn’t the only controversy this match set off.

Holger Rune’s opponent picks an argument over an MTO

The drama kicked in early during the same match, when Holger Rune stirred up controversy against Pedro Martinez and Spain’s captain, David Ferrer, made sure everyone knew it. As mentioned before, Rune had originally been slated to face Jaume Munar, but a sudden lineup switch just hours before brought Martinez onto the court with no reason given. The first two sets were split: the Spaniard stormed the opener 6-1, then Rune clawed back 6-4.

The real flashpoint came in the third. Suddenly, Holger Rune was fighting cramps and called for a medical timeout. However, Ferrer wasn’t too happy about this. He marched straight to the referee’s chair, furious at what he saw as rule-bending in Rune’s favor. But how is that rule-bending? We’ve seen it happen at plenty of tournaments.

In Davis Cup and other ITF events, medical time-outs for cramps simply don’t exist. Cramps are treated as a condition, not an injury. Players can only get help, such as a massage or stretching, during changeovers or set breaks. If the cramps don’t ease up and they can’t continue, the rule is brutal: play on or retire.

From there, the tension only escalated. Ferrer argued heatedly with match referee Roberto Ranieri, demanding an explanation that never satisfied him. Neither budged an inch. “He’s coming at me saying something. It wouldn’t even occur to him to say anything! Because… I speak Spanish so you can understand me perfectly!” Ferrer snapped, shared in a clip via Jose Morgado on X.

Spain would eventually celebrate, with Martinez pulling off the comeback to keep them alive. But that furious exchange had already whipped up the crowd. A full dose of Davis Cup drama is exactly what fans came for. But what’s your take on Holger Rune’s move here? Share your thoughts in the comments below!