“After the physio’s intervention, I thought it was cramp, as I was almost cramping myself after two and a half hours of intense play,” Humbert wrote on Instagram. “I’ve lost other matches this year in similar circumstances and this time I remained very focused on the goal.
“I’m sorry to see that this has been misunderstood and even worse, described as a lack of fair play.”
The Frenchman also revealed that he even reached out to Khachanov personally to apologize and clear up the misunderstanding.
“I have great respect for Karen and for all the opponents I’ve had to meet so far,” he added. “This will serve as a lesson to me to act better in the future.”
Despite the controversy, there’s plenty for Humbert to (tactfully) celebrate after a stellar week in Paris. The 26-year-old reached his first Masters 1000 final on home soil, doing so in the tournament’s last edition to be staged in Bercy’s Accor Arena. He started the week at world No. 14 as a result, one spot shy from his career-high ranking.
