Lorenzo Sonego and home hope Pierre-Hugues Herbert engaged in a thrilling five-set encounter during the first round of the 2026 French Open. However, the drama wasn’t contained to just their on-court battle, as Herbert furiously confronted the chair umpire over a controversial line call during a tense moment in the match.
Why the French Open Clash Between Lorenzo Sonego and Pierre-Hugues Herbert Turned Ugly
After a closely contested start to the match, Sonego edged ahead by winning the opening set 7-6(3). However, Herbert responded strongly to take the second set, and the pair continued to trade sets in the third and fourth to send the contest into a decider.
While facing a break point at 0-1 in the crucial fifth set, Herbert challenged a line call after believing Sonego’s ball had landed out. The chair umpire came down to inspect the mark but ultimately ruled the ball in, sparking furious protests from the Frenchman.
The 35-year-old was visibly frustrated as he confronted the umpire and even threatened to never speak to him again, with the home crowd loudly rallying behind him.
“You had the wrong mark anyways, it was on the line. No! You’re gonna see it. Look at me in the eyes. You’re gonna see it. It’s gonna be out. And you’re gonna be really, if you don’t say sorry after that one, I’ll never speak to you again. You don’t even imagine,” Herbert said.
Pierre Herbert was furious with the umpire’s decision after he believed Lorenzo Sonego’s shot was out 😳 pic.twitter.com/hIDb0afVzy
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) May 24, 2026
The controversy shone a light on the French Open’s decision to stick with human line judges rather than adopt the electronic line-calling system now widely used across the tour. With no electronic replays available to challenge calls, players have to rely on the umpire’s judgment.
MORE: Why Has French Open Refused To Implement Electronic Line Calling? All About the Controversial Move
Following the heated scene, Sonego secured a crucial break of serve to take a 2-0 lead in the decider. He went on to claim a hard-fought 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 victory after a four-hour, nine-minute contest that became the longest match of the day, finishing past 12:15 a.m. local time.
Up next, Lorenzo Sonego will lock horns with the winner of the match between No. 24 seed Tommy Paul and Rinky Hijikata. If he emerges victorious, the Italian could face two-time Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud in a potential third-round clash at the clay-court Major. His possible fourth-round opponents include Novak Djokovic and João Fonseca.
