MONTE CARLO MASTERS MATCH HALTED FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCY AS UMPIRE TAKES ACTION

A second-round match between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Marin Cilic was halted at the Monte Carlo Masters when the umpire noticed someone had "fainted" in the stands. Cilic had a 6-5 lead, and both players were sitting on their benches during the changeover when fans tried to alert tournament staff to the emergency.

Chair umpire Damien Dumusois radioed through to the tournament referee and said: "Stephane, I think someone has fainted in the stands on my left side, top corner of the Stadium. Centre Court." Just as the players were preparing to get back up and resume the match, Dumusois asked both of them to wait. He got on his walkie-talkie again, informing tournament officials that he had made the decision to pause the match.

"Just to let you know, 6-5, we wait to see what is happening there. We stopped play on Centre Court," the umpire explained. Around a minute passed, and Dumusois realised nobody had come to the stands yet. He added: "Stephane, there's still nobody in the stands." Help arrived very soon after, and the umpire relayed this information.

Auger-Aliassime, who then had to serve to stay in the set at 5-6, tried to stay warm in front of his bench, jumping around. The umpire then tried to get an update on when they could resume play.

"Do you mind to go or send someone just to update me, just to know if we wait, if we keep playing, or just to give some information to the players please?" Dumusois asked.

"Stephane, could you please go there or send someone just to update me. I don't know if it's bad or not, if we keep playing, or if we wait, because we'd like to know for the players please."

Cilic also tried to stay warm, stretching out at the side of the court as the delay continued. The former world No. 3 then walked towards the corner of the court, appearing to check what was happening to the spectator, and then headed back to his bench, running around to stay warm.

The umpire then revealed that the affected fan was being helped out of the stadium. "Okay, so apparently the person is in the wheelchair and they will take her out, yes," he told tournament referee Stephane Apostolou. Stephane replied: "When she's gone, then you can resume."

Applause rang out in the stands on Court Rainier III when the spectator was helped out of the stadium, and the umpire then called time, getting the match back underway almost eight minutes after the last point.

No. 6 seed Auger-Aliassime wasn't thrown by the delay, and successfully held serve to force a tiebreak. He won it 7-4 to take the first set. And the Canadian went on to seal a 7-6(4) 6-3 victory, reaching the last 16 in Monaco for the first time.

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2026-04-08T15:02:35Z