Alexander Zverev found himself at the center of controversy during his third-round match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Madrid Open, as tensions over electronic line calling on clay courts reached a boiling point once again.
Zverev, the tournament’s top seed, was adamant that a shot from Davidovich Fokina had landed out and called on chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani to step down and inspect the mark. While electronic line calling has become standard on hard courts, clay events like the Madrid Open still rely on line judges and umpires physically checking marks when a call is disputed.
The switch to the electronic system has raised questions, and Zverev is not alone in his frustration over the technology’s accuracy. Last week, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka used her phone to document a questionable call in Stuttgart, and Zverev followed suit in Madrid, taking a photo of the disputed mark. His actions earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct warning from the umpire.
“I’m a fan of the electronic system, but there was clearly a failure in the system,” Zverev said in his post-match press conference. “The ball was out by a significant margin—about four or five centimeters, not just by a millimeter or two. That’s why I asked the umpire to come down.”
Zverev also made it clear that he hopes the issue will be addressed by the ATP:
“This is not normal. If something like this happens, the chair umpire should be allowed to come down to inspect the mark. I’ll talk to the supervisors and the ATP. It’s not the umpire’s fault; if the rules don’t allow him to come down, then there’s nothing he can do.”
Despite the controversy surrounding the line calls, Zverev’s performance was less than stellar. The world No. 2 struggled throughout the match, ultimately winning 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0) in a hard-fought battle. He even served for the match at 5-4 in the final set, only to falter with a poor service game.
“I wasn’t playing my best tennis, but that’s sport. It can change quickly,” Zverev reflected. “I’m just happy to be through. Alejandro played some incredible tennis today.”
