Jaume Munar achieved more than just a victory against Terence Atmane in the first round of the US Open 2026. The Spaniard drew on his grit, courage, and pride to come back against the Frenchman, who had to be treated for cramps and explored the limits of the rules and sportsmanship. The result was 6-7 (5) 3-6 6-1 7-6 (4) 7-5.
There are matches that transcend sports, capable of generating excitement and elevating the sport, while also creating enormous media buzz around them. All of that was captured in the clash between Jaume Munar and Terence Atmane in a first round of the US Open 2026 that has already become part of tennis history. Absolutely everything imaginable and surreal happened.
Munar showcased courage and maturity against a controversial Atmane
A spiral of emotions that is hard to describe with words. Chaos took over the court where two of the most passionate and charismatic players in the world were playing. Both knew they were facing a great battle, but the first two sets ended up going in favor of the Frenchman, who with his aggressive tennis and a spectacular left-handed forehand, came back from a 2-5 deficit in the first set and was superior in the second.
Esta es una de las imágenes de la primera jornada en el #USOpen.
Atmane iba dos sets a cero arriba ante Munar, cuando ha empezado a sufrir de intensos calambres en todo el cuerpo.
No es la primera vez que le pasa, por cierto.
Jaume está ahora mismo intentando irse a un quinto,… https://t.co/EdO2L9dTel
— José Morón (@jmgmoron) August 30, 2026
It seemed like Jaume could fall apart, but suddenly, cramps appeared in the Frenchman. Atmane had to push beyond the limits of his physical condition to gain that lead on the scoreboard and he paid dearly for it at the start of the third set. Completely blocked by cramps in a quadriceps, he let himself go grotesquely, missing points, playing with his forehand, serving underhand in an unprecedented manner, and ultimately earned himself a privileged spot on social media.
That’s Atmane playing right now 🤣 pic.twitter.com/FwBIxDiuql
— The Tennis Goat (@thettennisgoat) August 30, 2026
Everything changed dramatically in the fourth set. Thanks to good emotional management by Terence and all the time he gained by pushing the clock to the limit while serving, the cramps began to subside. Treated by the physio in a seemingly illegal manner, he recovered from a break against him and forced Munar to reach peak tennis levels. The Spaniard performed a complete survival exercise, winning a nerve-wracking tiebreak by close margins.
El partido de Munar – Atmane es una de las cosas más bizarras que vi.
El francés todo acalambrado sacando con la derecha.
Munar haciendo tiempo para que Atmane se recupere de los calambres.
Al español lo mandas a robar y toca el timbre. pic.twitter.com/Q0Eva0iTHl
— Solo Tenis Picks🇦🇷 / Apuestas Deportivas Free (@solotenispicks) August 30, 2026
Jaume’s physical and mental fortitude was as astonishing as the stratagems of Atmane to maintain a certain physical solvency. The cramps returned, this time in his left hand, then appeared again in his leg and he sought a way to receive treatment, even confronting the physio who refused to help him because he knew it was cramps, despite the Frenchman insisting it was pain.
🚨 SCÈNE COMPLÈTEMENT FOLLE ENTRE TERENCE ATMANE ET LE KINÉ À L’US OPEN ! 😳
En difficulté physiquement dans le cinquième set face à Jaume Munar, le Français assure qu’il est BLESSÉ et qu’il ne souffre pas de crampes, mais le kiné refuse de le traiter.
🗣️🇫🇷 « J’AI MAL. C’est… pic.twitter.com/9C3CsZkTng
— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) August 30, 2026
The fifth set was a clash of styles and personalities, from which Jaume Munar emerged victorious, busy defending himself like a cat on its back and unleashing his arm whenever possible. The Spaniard needed a victory like this to boost his confidence and make him think he could deliver an outstanding performance in this US Open 2026. His next opponent will be Arthur Rinderknech.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Munar sale vivo del manicomio ante Atmane