'Misunderstood' Ugo Humbert issues personal apology to Karen Khachanov after Paris drama

Ugo Humbert took to social media to personally apologize to Karen Khachanov, after the Frenchman was branded as having “no class” following the contentious end to their Rolex Paris Masters semifinal clash.

The 26-year-old reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final on home soil last week, finishing runner-up to No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev after a sensational run that included a three-set upset over Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Read More: Ugo Humbert outlasts Karen Khachanov to become first French man to reach Paris Masters final since 2011

The home favorite fought through a closely contested semifinal against Khachanov, who had been on a red-hot run of his own after winning the Almaty Open title and reaching the final in Vienna. Humbert roared and pumped his fists throughout the match as the vocal French crowd egged him on, even while a struggling Khachanov received a medical time out for a leg injury in the third set.

Khachanov had choice words for the Frenchman at the net after his 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3 defeat, saying his opponent had “no class” for his antics.

To (celebrate) while you see the other guy is on the ground? OK, see you next time. Khachanov on Humbert's behavior in Paris

“I told him at the net to be a little bit more (calm) and have respect,” Khachanov later told Ziggo Sport in a post-match interview. “(He has) no idea how to behave, and I’m always fair play. I will congratulate him if he behaves like a normal person…

“Do you think it’s OK? You can celebrate after with the crowd, no problem. You can do whatever you want... Injuries are a part of the game, but to (celebrate) while you see the other guy is on the ground? OK, see you next time.”

The injury turned out to be a Grade 2 sprain in two parts of Khachanov’s right leg, which prompted the 28-year-old to shut down his season in favor of “recovery and rest with my family.” The Russian is already posting up a storm from the Seychelles as they embark on an early off-season vacation.

But according to Humbert, he had no idea the Russian was injured during the match. Sharing a lengthy Instagram Story on Tuesday, Humbert explained that he believed his opponent was simply struggling with cramps and losing fitness toward the end of their “intense” battle.

“After the physio's intervention, I thought it was cramp, as I was almost cramping myself after two and a half hours of intense play,” Humbert wrote on Instagram. “I've lost other matches this year in similar circumstances and this time I remained very focused on the goal.

“I'm sorry to see that this has been misunderstood and even worse, described as a lack of fair play.”

The Frenchman also revealed that he even reached out to Khachanov personally to apologize and clear up the misunderstanding.

“I have great respect for Karen and for all the opponents I've had to meet so far,” he added. “This will serve as a lesson to me to act better in the future.”

Read More: Alexander Zverev won the last match in Bercy, as Ugo Humbert’s fiery fairytale run ended with a weary thud

Despite the controversy, there’s plenty for Humbert to (tactfully) celebrate after a stellar week in Paris. The 26-year-old reached his first Masters 1000 final on home soil, doing so in the tournament’s last edition to be staged in Bercy’s Accor Arena. He started the week at world No. 14 as a result, one spot shy from his career-high ranking.

UPSET ALERT: Ugo Humbert shocks Carlos Alcaraz at Paris Masters