Andrew Jarrett (right) was a Wimbledon referee from 2006 to 2019. Photo: Getty Images/Mike Hewitt
The life of a judge is nothing if not varied. Suddenly, the walkie-talkie calls you: «Referee to the court, please.» You may have to decide on the size of the logo, monitor the medical situation, decide on a suspension due to poor lighting, or answer a player's question. Sometimes it can bring comedy.
Court Six Supervisor came about when I was working for a year at the Australian Open. Fernando Gonzalez wanted to talk on the next shift. «What's the problem, Gonzo?» «It's ice,» came the reply. «Too cold.»
On another occasion, I was working for the US Open when I ran into a pushy security guard. She was big and fierce and came on the court when I was solving the logo problem before the doubles match with Rennee Stubbs, Kara Black, Caroline Wozniacki and Sabina Lisicki. She did not believe that I was allowed on the court, and so she came to clean me up.
Even the players jumped to my defense, which could have prevented me from being forcibly ejected, not to mention bruised. When we were ready, I called and asked her to leave the court. She shouted back, “You don't tell me what to do; I'm telling you what to do!» I couldn't help answering: «Sorry, I didn't know we were married.»
The boy with the ball was late
Now to the Far East and to the chief judge, Cedric Mourier, who turned out to be in charge of the pantomime. villains Fabio Fognini and Victor Troitsky in an open courtyard in Beijing.
It was a high-risk match, as Troicki was also prone to occasional infractions, including a great tirade at Wimbledon just a few months earlier. But nothing could have prepared Cedric for the moment when Fognini complained about the «shitty yard».
When he looked, there were some suspicious mounds in the corner, and the player caught the smell. Cedric called the courthouse to clean up a bit. However, by the time they got there, our enterprising ATP referee had taken a towel, dried off a bit, and dealt with the shit problem himself.
ATP Supervisor Thomas Carlberg suggested it was bird droppings, but no, it turned out that the ball felt sick due to stomach pain, it was caught hard and just thrown onto the court.
The investigation subsequently wondered if he was in his underwear and why he simply did not leave the court. We never got to know the whole story, and it's probably best left to the imagination.
The Fall of Nigel Sears
Let's go back to Melbourne, where the Aussie Open was in full swing. I had just finished my long day at the HiSense Arena when the radio announced that a spectator had fainted on the grounds of the main stadium.
After a couple of minutes, the next call stopped me. The spectator turned out to be Nigel Sears, an old friend of mine and an old high school friend from the Millfield days who coached Ana Ivanovic.
He's also Andy Murray's father-in-law, and Andy was playing at the time, so I knew his entire band would be busy elsewhere.
Nigel looked ill as they carried him on a stretcher. By the time he got to the ambulance, he was at least talking. At the hospital, I waited until various tests were carried out, and then I entered the emergency room.
Inside, I found Nigel sitting up and looking a little embarrassed. We quickly moved on to our usual routine of two 16 year olds messing around. I was able to relay a message from his son Scott, who saw it all from his couch. «Tell him his abs looked good on TV,» he said.
I don't think the nurse in the emergency room expected the bullying we gave each other. I accused him of going to any lengths to push his opponents away, even faking a heart attack.
All he wanted was regular updates on how Ana's match was going. Coming back from the results update, I noticed his immaculate brand new sneakers under the bed. «Nige,» I said, «they're going to leave you here for the night.» If you don't make it through the night, can I borrow your sneakers, they look like they're my size?»
«If I wanted to, there would be no medical time-outs in tennis.»
One of the topics discussed in every referee's office is the pace of the game. John McEnroe seemed to have trouble tying his shoelaces, as they untied whenever he needed to slow things down. Novak Djokovic regularly hit the ball an incredible number of times. Rafa Nadal fidgeted and fidgeted. And any number of players will wash the towel even after an ace comes up!
Wimbledon used to start every day at 2:00 pm; Four matches were played on each court, and they still ended. For many years we started at 11:30 and it finally became 11:00 after a decade of lobbying from me and others. Even with this earlier start, they don't always end before dark.
In the old days, the players didn't even sit down when changing ends, but only stopped briefly to dry off quickly with a towel. and a sip of the drink. Now every excuse to slow things down is used, and breaks hurt.
If I had my way, we wouldn't have medical timeouts at all. If a player is unable to play, he must shake hands, resign and leave. Perhaps, as a concession, I could say that if a coach/physical therapist shows up, he should incur some form of penalty: maybe a point or a game. The same should apply to toilet breaks. This allows for emergencies and stops the game.
The player who mooed because of the right hand
Grunting was also a frequent theme. You can't expect silence on the court when someone is struggling to hit a tennis ball with full force. So when does this become a problem? Answer: when it is done intentionally to push the opponent away. This should lie in the judge's decision on the chair.
We had tabloids demanding Gruntometers just because Sharapova or Azarenka were loud. The problem is that Nadal is also loud, but has a lower tone and is therefore less noticeable. If you use technology to measure noise, you end up being like a traffic cop punishing people for driving 33 mph in a 30 mph zone. Imagine it in a Grand Slam final!
I heard about a player who took matters into his own hands. Once the grunting started at the far end, they bellowed loudly every time they landed a right hand, and loudly «baa» every time they landed a backhand. Of course, the warden was quickly summoned to court.
The judge in the chair was ordered to declare violations of the code if this happened again, and the situation died a quick death. However, the player made his point, and the noisy intruder on the other end was ashamed enough to hold back. Wonderful. I wish I could see and hear this barnyard battle for myself.
Andrew Jarrett on the behavior of tennis superstars
Final thoughts on some of the players, in alphabetical order.
>Brians (Bob and Mike)
Identical twins and a brilliant doubles team, the brothers once had a problem at the Australian Open when Bob got mad at Mike, handcuffed him after he missed and Mike was knocked down and felt so woozy he called coach. In typical overreaction, the coach called the doctor, and by the time they waited a few minutes, the Brians decided they didn't need him right now anyway and just moved on. What a pantomime! The umpire was not very impressed and wondered if it would be funny to punish Bob for violating the code for physical abuse.
Chris Evert
Great player. She first married English tennis player John Lloyd, then American Olympic skier Andy Mill, and then Australian golfer Greg Norman. I just hope one day she can marry a Frenchman and if she does, will she be the first to win a family Grand Slam?
Roger Federer
He played probably the most beautiful tennis that has ever been seen. He then walked to press conferences, looked flawless, and spoke three different languages. Apparently, he was also a role model for the modern father, including changing diapers. I really hope he swatted a fly at least once in his life, otherwise he would be perfect!Jarrett (center) is pictured next to eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer (right). Photo: Getty Images/Shaun Botterill Camila Giorgi
She is a tiny Italian whose father has messy hair that makes him look like a professor from a science lab. Together they make a colorful combination and I have always enjoyed dealing with them. He fidgets on the edge of the court and can't stop practicing a little, not necessarily with her approval. Once in Birmingham, he advised her to throw the ball in the middle of a match. Camila got mad at him, deliberately made a double mistake, and then looked back. Never think that everything is simple in the cozy little world of a player and a father/coach.
Sam Groth
It's big, very big! So he towered over me when I chatted with him about a report that he had once verbally abused a girl. Being a friendly and affable Australian, he listened to the accusation and then said: «Well, sometimes I'm not a saint, but I don't do such things.» I also believed him. He played Jack Juice, and it's entirely possible that this could be a mistake. We made a deal. Sam approached the ballerina, gave her a towel and took a selfie with her. Sometimes it's impossible to get to the bottom of every problem, but it seemed like a practical solution.
Nick Kigrios
He was being treated for prying eyes during an off-court medical timeout at the US Open when he turned to the supervisor and said, «What's the score mate?» «You're set up and leading 4-3 in the second,» came the reply. — Is it intermittent or not? Nick continued. «S,» Soup replied. “Sorry, buddy, I’m not particularly enthusiastic about this match,” Nick’s love-hate for sports summarized something like this. I would definitely cross the road to watch him play his genius tennis.
Andy Murray
He likes to grumble from time to time, but don't we all? He almost single-handedly forced the LTA to recognize that there is life outside of London. His inner circle knows he's a good guy, but too many outside of him don't get the chance to see him that way.
Rafael Nadal
It was a pleasure to deal with Rafa. What a mighty warrior and so professional. Now I can laugh at the effort I sometimes had to make to get him to court (almost) on time. I'm used to the fact that he suddenly stops at the last moment to tie his shoelaces.
David Nalbandyan
He asked that his match at Wimbledon be played at a different time than Argentina at the World Cup. I told him that this might mean that he would play on a smaller court than he expected. The answer came: «I will play in Aorangi Park (a place for training) if I have to.» Since I am a football fan, I fully understood and complied with the request. I also felt his pain when he lost both tennis matches and then watched his team lose later on TV.
Bernard Tomic
He often manages to find a way to upset people, but I don't think he cares. One day he finished a match, went to his obligatory press conference and said that he was too bored to play properly there. Later, his agent chased after his prize money. It has been suggested that the event was too boring to pay for.
The almost all-white dress code at Wimbledon is well known and the players and staff are working on it together. For example, a male player walked into the office to ask for white underwear to comply with the rules. They couldn't find his size, so instead they gave him a pair of women's Bridget Jones-inspired sneakers. He left to try them on and came back saying, «Yes, they're fine.» The next day he was assigned to Center Court. Is he the only man wearing women's underwear on Center Court? I don't know! But I know that he might be the only player on the tour who didn't get it, as the story spread very quickly. I hope no one told him.
Andrew Jarrett's Champion Points are available on Amazon or www.championshippoints.com for £12.95.
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