Tag: Wimbledon

What is a hindrance call in tennis?

Novak Djokovic was called for hindrance during his Wimbledon semifinal win Friday.

Novak Djokovic is just one match victory away from his 24th Grand Slam title, which would set the all-time record for men or women in the Open Era and break his tie with Serena Williams at 23.

The No. 2-ranked player in the world won his Wimbledon semifinal match Friday, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4), over No. 8 Jannik Sinner to advance to Sunday’s final, when he’ll face either No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz or No. 3 Daniil Medvedev. But Djokovic’s semifinal win had a super surprising moment.

During the second set against Sinner, Djokovic returned the ball and let out a loud and extended grunt. It was apparently too much for the chair umpire, who called the 36-year-old Serbian player for hindrance.

So what is hindrance? Simply, the ATP Tour’s 2021 rulebook described it as: “A hindrance may result (1) from a corrected call by an official or (2) from an inadvertent event that occurs on-court”.

But the section also notes that a “A distraction occurring on-court may be ruled inadvertent (unintentional) or ruled deliberate.” More via the 2021 ATP Tour rulebook:

Any player who created the hindrance must be advised that the next time play is stopped by the Chair Umpire because of that player’s similar actions; it shall result in a loss of point. …

Any distraction caused by a player may be ruled deliberate and result in the loss of a point (intentional or unintentional). Deliberate is defined as the play- er meant to do what it was that caused the hindrance or distraction.

This grunt from Djokovic certainly seems unintentional, but the rule clearly states the call leads to a loss of a point regardless of intentionality.

Here’s another example, from the 2021 ATP Tour rulebook:

Opponent Makes Noise

Case: During play, a player thinking he has hit a winner, shouts “vamos”, “come on”, “yes”, etc. as his opponent is in the act of hitting the ball.

Decision: If the Chair Umpire rules that a hindrance has occurred then, as the sound or exclamation that caused the hindrance was deliberate, the point shall be awarded.

23 awesome Novak Djokovic photos from his 23 singles Grand Slam victories

Novak Djokovic called by Wimbledon umpire for ‘hindrance’ during point because he… grunted too long?

Too much grunting, apparently.

Novak Djokovic, the No. 2 seed at Wimbledon, was fighting for a point in the second set of the men’s semifinals against No. 8 Jannik Sinner when the chair umpire called out one word that stopped play.

“HINDRANCE.”

For those unfamiliar, hindrance is called when a player or non-player intentionally or unintentionally interferes with another players ability on the court. If intentional, the perpetrator will lose the point. If unintentional — think a bird flying down or a headband coming off mid-play — they will simply replay the point.

Sinner was awarded the point, meaning the chair umpire deemed Djokovic acted intentionally.

So, what did he do? Well, he grunted too long.

He clearly didn’t agree, but the point went to Sinner. What do you think? Did he grunt too long?

23 awesome Novak Djokovic photos from his 23 singles Grand Slam victories

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Johannus Monday concludes first Wimbledon appearance

Tennessee’s Johannus Monday concludes first Wimbledon appearance.

Tennessee rising senior Johannus Monday concluded his first appearance in The Championships, Wimbledon.

Monday and doubles partner Jake Fearnley lost in a second-round match to Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden, 7-5, 6-3.

Monday and Fearnley defeated André Göransson and Ben McLachlan, 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4, in the first-round.

Fearnley plays collegiately at TCU.

Monday earned 2023 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors and was named an ITA All-American in both singles and doubles during the spring.

He enters the 2023-24 season with a 77-22 career singles record and a 68-25 record in doubles competition.

Monday is from Hull, England. He and Fearnley both attended Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Scotland.

PHOTOS: Tennessee defeats Belmont in 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round

PHOTOS: Tennessee-South Carolina 2023 NCAA Tournament tennis super regional

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Why Wimbledon players wear all white for London’s Grand Slam event

The story behind the all-white dress code at Wimbledon.

It’s something you may have noticed while watching Wimbledon every year, but only stopped to ask now: Why is it that the men and women tennis players there have to wear all-white?

Great question! It’s something that’s caused controversy in recent years so it’s worth looking back on the history.

The answer? The dress code comes from the 1800s, and as Deseret News noted: “visible perspiration was considered improper, reports The Telegraph. White ensembles apparently hide sweat stains best, so the Wimbledon dress code called for all-white outfits.”

There’s been one change in recent years, from Wimbledon’s site: Exception provided for female players who are allowed to wear solid, mid/dark-coloured undershorts provided they are no longer than their shorts or skirt.

There you have it!

Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler visit Wimbledon with their wives

The three PGA Tour stars went on a couples outing to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

With back-to-back tournaments in the UK coming up at the Genesis Scottish Open and the British Open, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler took this week off from the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic and flew across the pond early to take in the sights.

On Sunday, the three PGA Tour stars went with their wives – Annie Verret (Spieth), Jillian Wisniewski (Thomas) and Allison Stokke (Fowler) – to the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

The featured match on Sunday, Day 7 of the biggest tennis event in the world, was No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic taking on Hubert Hurkacz.

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Why there’s a Wimbledon curfew that can pause matches in the middle of them

Why there’s a curfew at Wimbledon.

If you’re here, you may have two words on your mind: Wimbledon … curfew?

Yes. Matches stop being played after 11 p.m. local time, which is why Stefan Tsitsipas and Andy Murray — who were in the middle of a second-round match — had to pause their hard-fought battle in 2023 on Thursday and wait for the next day.

Why? This has been a thing since 2009, when Centre Court at the All England Club got a roof.

Per The Independent, here’s a statement from Wimbledon back in 2018: “The 11pm curfew is a Planning Condition applied to balance the consideration of the local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area. The challenge of transport connectivity and getting visitors home safely is also a key consideration.”

There’s your answer!

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Johannus Monday wins in first-round doubles competition at Wimbledon

Tennessee’s Johannus Monday wins in first-round doubles competition at Wimbledon.

Tennessee rising senior Johannus Monday competed in The Championships, Wimbledon first-round on Thursday.

Monday and doubles partner Jake Fearnley defeated André Göransson and Ben McLachlan, 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.

Fearnley plays collegiately at TCU.

Monday earned 2023 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors and was named an ITA All-American in both singles and doubles during the spring.

He enters the 2023-24 season with a 77-22 career singles record and a 68-25 record in doubles competition.

Monday is from Hull, England. He and Fearnley both attended Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, Scotland.

PHOTOS: Tennessee defeats Belmont in 2023 NCAA Tournament first-round

PHOTOS: Tennessee-South Carolina 2023 NCAA Tournament tennis super regional

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A spider jump scared Wimbledon viewers by crawling onto one of ESPN’s cameras during a match

The itsy bitsy spider made a cameo appearance at Wimbledon on Wednesday.

A surprise guest scurried across one of ESPN’s Wimbledon cameras on Wednesday during one of the matches.

During Shintaro Mochizuki and Tommy Paul’s second-round Wimbledon duel, a spider came from out of nowhere and crawled across the ESPN camera.

If you have arachnophobia, it’d be an shocking blast of horror hitting your television screen on what is supposed to be a calm day of tennis coverage.

If you aren’t that bothered by bugs, this was just a funny blip on the radar that the ESPN announcers couldn’t help but joke about to the viewers at home.

At least when you watch this clip, you’ll know what’s coming?

Well, the itsy bitsy spider in question didn’t want too much air time, as it crawled out of frame second after popping up on camera.

It’s not everyday that a bug gets into frame during a tennis match. However, maybe this spider will pick up a tennis racket next time and compete?

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

Why fans eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon, explained

Here’s why strawberries and cream are a thing at Wimbledon.

There’s nothing truly special about strawberries and cream separately. When you put them together, they’re just fine.

But when you add the context of tennis and Wimbledon? Strawberries and cream, as a combination, quite literally become historic.

Yes, I know. It’s an extremely weird combination to be described as “historic,” but it’s true. People have been eating strawberries and cream at what the iconic tennis tournament for literal centuries at this point. It’s not just a thing — it’s the thing. If you’re lucky enough to go to Wimbledon, you have to try it.

The tradition dates back to the first actual Wimbledon tournament back in 1877, according to The New York Times. We know it’s a thing. But the question is: Why? There are a couple of reasons we can point back to.

The first is simple — strawberries were just in season during June and July. It was a convenient snack that the locals had plenty of.

Second, King George V also reportedly ate strawberries during the matches he’d watched. It caught on with the locals and just became a thing. Here’s more from The New York Times:

“Popular legend has it that King George V introduced strawberries and cream to courtside crowds. But the tradition actually dates from around the time of the first Wimbledon tournament in 1877, according to Audrey Snell, a librarian at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. Strawberries and tennis, she said, both signaled the arrival of summer.”

Now, here we are more than a century later, still eating the same snack. Talk about a trendsetter.