During a calm, quiet afternoon in the buildup to Wimbledon last year, the former US Open champion Sloane Stephens was working on her game in a practice set against another player when her opponent's mood suddenly soured. Stephens prides herself on her integrity and, having contested hundreds of practice matches over the years, she says she always veers on the side of caution when charged with calling her own lines. Only when she is certain there is a clear gap between the ball and line does she call an opponent's shot out.
Halfway through the set, Stephens believed her opponent had missed a second serve and called a double fault. "She thought I cheated her in the practice," says Stephens. "I didn't know this happened during the practice. I was like: 'Second serve out, double fault.' Apparently, she looked back at her coach in disgust."
Stephens was reflecting that evening with her mother, Sybil, and her coach, Kamau Murray, when the discussion turned to the double fault. Her mother and coach agreed they had seen chalk fly up after the second serve: "They said it wasn't a double fault. I was like: 'That's why she was so mad at me. During the practice I said to them: 'I think she's having a bad day.' No, she legit thought I cheated her."
Stephens quickly made amends with the player but her experience highlighted one of the more unique aspects of the tour. Players usually train with the same opponents they battle for prize money and prestige on the court. With no umpires or linespeople present during training, those players are charged with calling their own lines. Not everyone believes their rivals can be trusted to make fair calls.
Denne historien er fra January 10, 2025-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 10, 2025-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Nostalgic, but the humour is right on trend
Amy Annette is the sort of woman who would rather drop her phone than a lovely bit of bread, she tells us by way of introduction
Gyms Working out the best membership deal
Mabel Banfield-Nwachi looks into the prices at the leading chains, and finds the best deals to save money
Gaza Shells and bombs in rubble put thousands of lives at risk, experts warn
Tens of thousands of people will risk death or injury this weekend from shells and bombs buried in rubble when they try to reach ruined homes in areas of Gaza inaccessible throughout much of the 15-month war, explosive disposal experts and aid officials have warned.
Southport killer: police in fight to access web history
Police have been unable to check what Axel Rudakubana was searching online before he murdered three children in Southport because they are locked in a lengthy US legal process to obtain the data from Google and Microsoft, it can be revealed.
Revolution' Trump sets out his radical agenda. But will it work?
This time last week Stewart Rhodes was serving an 18-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy over his role in a deadly attack on the US Capitol.
'What do I do if I want to kill?' How teenager became a murderer
When Axel Rudakubana returned to school after summer five years ago, something had changed.
UN voices alarm as M23 rebels advance on Goma in eastern DRC
The military governor of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has died from injuries sustained during the army's fight against the M23 rebel group as it advances towards the city of Goma.
Scientists pinpoint Andes as origin of potato blight that led to Irish famine
It was a disaster that killed about 1 million people, devastating 19th-century Ireland, but while the potato disease behind the Irish famine is well known, a battle has raged over where it originated.
Subsea cables Could Irish neutrality leave infrastructure open to attack?
They are the bedrock of the internet, keeping everything from TikTok to emergency services, business, banking systems and political and military communications running smoothly.
'Tormented' man shot dead by West Mercia police was shown no mercy, says family
The family of Marcus Meade, who was shot and killed by police on Christmas Eve while thought to be having a mental crisis, have said officers showed \"no mercy\" for him, and are calling for \"full accountability\" of those involved.
