He told fans to “shut up”, lambasted the umpire, quit the match and walked off court.Ī bad line call prompted a two-minute tirade from the American player. One of the great villains of modern tennis, the American was incensed by a disputed ace. You cannot be serious! Five memorable tennis meltdowns He will be one of 40 chair umpires at Wimbledon, where he expects to officiate between 14 and 16 matches during the fortnight. He works about 25 tournaments a year, including spending 15 weeks contracted to the ATP Tour (the men’s professional circuit). The self-employed umpire has officiated at all four Grand Slams, two Olympic Games (in Beijing and London), the Commonwealth Games (in Delhi), and international team Davis Cup and Fed Cup ties. “John’s still a good competitor and is still feisty if he thinks things have gone against him,” says Haigh. Haigh was on the receiving end of the American’s displeasure – although not his trademark “You cannot be serious” rebuke – during a senior invitation doubles match on Centre Court in 2013. Of course the most famous player rant belongs to three-time Wimbledon singles champion John McEnroe. Sometimes they think we’ve made a mistake and they get frustrated.” Going for gold He adds: “The players are playing for a lot of prize money, a lot of world ranking points, so it’s very important to them and we’re there trying to do the best job we can. “But then also the player’s giving you a hard time so you’ve got to hold your hands up, apologise for the mistake, but get the match moving again.” The Championships 2017 at The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon. Richard and players from the WJTI during the Hawkeye testing match on Court 12. “ proved me to be wrong, which you feel bad about,” says Haigh, who, like his fellow professional umpires, has to undergo an annual eye test. He remembers a match in Cincinnati in 2014 when he called out a serve by the Italian player Sara Errani, which was comfortably in.

The Farm by Richard Haigh