Jaume Munar demonstrated his impressive form in Hong Kong, where he reached the semifinals, narrowly missing the final. He dominated Alexandre Muller, taking the lead with one set and 3-1, before the Frenchman ultimately won the competition. Munar, currently ranked 61st in the ATP at 27 years old, then embarked on a challenging journey to Melbourne.
Traveling to Melbourne
Munar had to travel from Hong Kong to Adelaide, with a stop in Sydney, to participate in the Open 250. This was necessary to avoid a fine. In Adelaide, he was eliminated from the competition.
Preparing for the Australian Open
In Melbourne, Munar was joined by his coach, Miguel Sánchez, who has previously worked with MarÃa José MartÃnez and Tommy Robredo. Munar was looking forward to the Australian Open, where his best result had been reaching the second round. However, he was paired with Casper Ruud, the sixth seed, in the draw.
The Match Against Casper Ruud
Munar’s match against Ruud was scheduled at the Rod Laver Arena, which was closed due to rain. Despite the challenging conditions, Munar pushed Ruud to the limit, ultimately losing with a score of 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, and 6-1, in three hours and 21 minutes.
On the Player Council
Munar will debut in 2025 as one of the 12 members of the ATP players council, alongside Pedro MartÃnez. The Davis Cup captain, David Ferrer, took note of Munar’s impressive comeback. Spain has the option to include a fifth player in the squad to face Switzerland on February 1 and 2 in Biel.
Munar’s Elimination from the Australian Open
Munar was the first of the 12 Spaniards in the individual table to be eliminated from the Australian Open.