From the archive: ‘You can’t be the player’s friend’: inside the secret world of tennis umpires

从档案中:你不可能成为球员的朋友:网球裁判秘密世界的内幕

The Audio Long Read

2025-07-02

45 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: new technology was supposed to make umpiring easy. It hasn’t worked out that way By William Ralston. Read by Simon Vance. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
更多

单集文稿 ...

  • This is The Guardian.

  • Hello, it's Faker Rothers here, host of The Guardian Women's Football Weekly podcast.

  • The European Championships are here.

  • Are the Lionesses doing enough to win back-to-back Euros?

  • How are Wales,

  • who are making their first ever appearance in an international tournament, doing?

  • And are there any dark horses causing upsets?

  • Your stellar squad of me...

  • I'm not sure if I can be called Stella but the rest of them are Susie Rack,

  • Tom Garry, Sophie Downey and a bunch of expert guests we've gathered for you.

  • They're here to guide you through the highs and the lows of this month-long tournament.

  • All you need to do is search for The Guardian Women's Football Weekly wherever you get your podcasts.

  • Hi,

  • my name is William Ralston and I'm the author of you can't be the players friend inside the secret world of tennis umpires published by the Guardian long read in July 2022 I've always been a tennis fan.

  • I played it when I was younger and I've been watching it avidly over the past Two decades or so and a part of the game that I took a greater interest in at the beginning of 2022 Was the chair umpiring to try and improve the officiating the sport?

  • the authorities introduced Hawkeye line-calling technology, which appeared,

  • or people hoped, I guess, would remove all the debates around contention decisions.

  • But in fact, by the beginning of 2022, it seemed to be doing the complete opposite.

  • There were a string of really bizarre incidents that happened on the tour.

  • Beginning in Australia, the Australian Open, right through to the Miami Open in March,