The record Grand Slam winner wants to use the technology to reduce wrong decisions
The Serbian Grand Slam record winner Novak Djokovic has emphatically called for the widespread introduction of video evidence in professional tennis. “It’s embarrassing,” the world number two and Olympic champion wrote on social media about a controversial umpiring decision at the ATP tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, ”that we can’t use video replays to clarify controversial situations on the court.”
Djokovic’s anger was triggered by Brit Jack Draper’s winning point in the round of 16 against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime: Before the ball flew over the net into Auger-Aliassime’s court, the felt ball appeared to have touched the ground again after Draper’s shot. Despite Auger-Aliassime’s protests, the chair umpire awarded the point and thus the entire match to Draper
Djokovic: “Such nonsense ”
For Djokovic, the still widespread abandonment of standardized video technology is no longer justifiable. “We already have the Hawkeye for line balls, and we have advanced technology in the 21st century. So please make sure that such nonsense can never happen again,” the 37-year-old appealed to the heads of the professional organizations ATP (men) and WTA (women).
Djokovic considers the situation on the court in the case of controversial match situations to be completely inappropriate: “It’s ridiculous that we don’t have a rule that allows the umpire to change his original decision by looking at video images next to the court. Every TV viewer can see what really happened in the replay, but here even the players are kept in the dark about the facts.”
Just recently at the Olympic tournament in Paris, US Open winner Coco Gauff also spoke out in favor of video evidence in tennis after her round of 16 exit following a controversial refereeing decision in the previous match. “We should have video replay, because often important points are at stake. The officials usually apologize afterwards, but it’s even more frustrating when the match is over and you’ve lost,” said the US world number two
