"Iga Swiatek got more criticism but this madness is normal" - Fans incensed as Hubert Hurkacz stands by calling for umpire removal from French Open 4R

Fans have not taken kindly to Hubert Hurkacz's defensive stance on a controversial moment during his French Open fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov. It involved the Pole asking Dimitrov if the Bulgarian would mind chair umpire Alison Hughes being replaced.

Hurkacz expressed this bizarre request to Dimitrov after establishing a 6-5 lead in the third set, having lost the first two sets. It came on the back of one of the ATP World No. 8's forehands being called out by the chair umpire two games earlier. Hurkacz wrongly believed that Hughes had made the incorrect call, even though Dimitrov intervened to tell the Pole that it was him, and not the umpire, who was in the wrong.

Hurkacz ultimately went down fighting as Dimitrov clinched the contest after winning the third-set tiebreak. During the post-match press conference, Hurkacz was asked about his thoughts on the controversy. The Pole showed no remorse and was rather blunt about the whole situation, seemingly justifying his actions.

"I think I could have asked before. No, just asking Grigor if he would like to make the change. If not, then we're perfectly fine," Hurkacz said.

One set of fans compared the reactions Hurkacz has garnered for his actions so far to those that his compatriot Iga Swiatek got for urging the French Open crowd to remain silent during points. Swiatek's plea came after her narrow win over Naomi Osaka in the second round.

"Iga got more criticism for saying sth to the crowd but this madness is treated as completely normal. The delusion is astounding here," one fan wrote.

"White male privilege. What Iga asked for is for people to respect tennis etiquette which is silence during points. What Hurkacz was asking for shows complete disrespect to the umpire. Calling her lady makes it worse & it’s not up to the players to just decide on who officiates," another fan commented.

"Idt its treated as normal. A lot of 'feedback' to Hubi - exactly as he should get. He was really uncool. Probably a bit more under the radar as she (Swiatek) is #1 and said stuff publicly, he was (supposedly) just talking to a friend. Like it would be funny if it wasnt so disrespectful," another fan chimed in.

Another set of fans expressed their surprise at the whole affair, especially because of Hurkacz's reputation in tennis as a player who generally keeps his calm even in the most tense moments.

"I know we project certain characteristics/personas onto players, but Hubi always came across a decent guy. But he was just wrong here. About the call and then dragging Dimitrov into it. Did he at least acknowledge he was wrong about the call?" one fan asked.

"Would he have asked this if the umpire was a man? This umpire is more experienced in her role than Hubi is in his," another fan wrote, referring to Hughes' 30+ years of experience as a chair umpire, which has seen her officiate in more than 20 Majors.

"In decades of watching tennis, this is a new one. Are players even capable of getting an umpire swapped out? They complain and ask for a supervisor etc but can 2 players bring a mutiny?? I like Hubi but that was bizarre," another fan weighed in.

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"It's very hard to play against such a good friend" - Grigor Dimitrov on facing Hubert Hurkacz

Hubert Hurkacz (L) and Grigor Dimitrov (R) shaking hands to put an end to the chair umpire controversy at the 2024 French Open

During his post-match on-court interview, Grigor Dimitrov reflected on what he felt as he squared off against Hurkacz. The Bulgarian said that playing against the Pole feels "very hard" for him as they are friends. He also revealed that they spend a lot of time practicing together.

"It’s very hard to play against such a good friend. I’ve known him for quite a few years. We practice a lot and we’ve had quite a few moments together," Dimitrov said.

Dimitrov is slated to face reigning Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals. If he does manage to come out on top against the Italian, he will meet either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.