Both the player and the commentators expressed shock at the umpire’s decision to deduct Novak Djokovic one point for a lengthy grunt during his Wimbledon semifinal match.
When umpire Richard Haigh determined that Jannik Sinner had been hampered by the noise during the second set, he was assessed the penalty.
Djokovic of Serbia, who eventually prevailed, yelled angrily at the umpire, “What are you doing?” and said that the decision “could have changed the course of the match.”
“I felt nervous after that call, but I managed to regroup,” Djokovic said after making it to Sunday’s final, when he will compete for a record-equaling eighth men’s Wimbledon singles title.
John McEnroe, a former Wimbledon winner, called it a “horrible, horrible call” and said the umpire “wanted his name in the paper.”
The choice was made in the second set when Sinner was up at 15-30 and Djokovic was serving with a 2-1 edge.
Sinner nevertheless returned the ball close to the baseline despite the Serb groaning after stretching to hit a backhand.
Djokovic originally displayed a startled expression before approaching the umpire to argue the outcome. He received a time warning later in the same match, but kept his composure to hold serve and finish the match with a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory.
“I would have hated for that to be the pivotal moment.
“If Sinner ups his game, that’s fine, but not when the umpire gets involved, that’s another thing entirely. This umpire obviously wanted his name in the newspaper. Novak thankfully held. That would have been regrettable.
Tim Henman, a former British number one, described it as “bizarre”.
“It’s so uncommon to see a barrier; in doubles, if they’re talking, you might pick it up, but in the semis of a Grand Slam, it was so unexpected.”
Djokovic won the match admirably and advanced to his seventh straight Wimbledon final, where he will play either Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev.
I watched the replay, Djokovic remarked in the post-game press conference. My grunt finished before he fired the gun, as I could see. I therefore believed the chair umpire’s decision to be incorrect.
You must once more accept it.
Liam Broady, a player from the UK, called the choice “horrendous” in a tweet.
Although every player does that at least once per tournament, he said, “I’ve never seen a grunt called for a hindrance. I’m not saying it wasn’t a hindrance.”
“The prolonged grunts and the oddly timed growls occur EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And they are never contacted. Strange moment to voice opposition to a prolonged grunt, you say.
Nine in the world is an American “I can’t speak to this particular instance because I didn’t see it,” Taylor Fritz continued.
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