Full story
Madrid Open dispute
Elena Rybakina said she lost trust in the electronic line-calling system at the Madrid Open after a disputed decision during her three-set win against Zheng Qinwen on Sunday.
“Published Elena Rybakina said she did not trust the electronic line-calling system at the Madrid Open following a disputed decision in her three-set win against Zheng Qinwen on Sunday.”
The controversy centered on a serve that was called an ace when Zheng was 30-0 up and 4-3 down in the second set, even though Rybakina pointed to the mark and argued it was out.
Rybakina told the umpire Julie Kjendlie to come down to have a look at it on the clay court, but the official said she could not do so.
“The system is wrong, this is not a joke,” Rybakina told the official, who said she had to go with the electronic line-calling system.
Rybakina then said, “Well with this thing, I won't trust it at all, because there was no mark even close to what the TV showed.”
She ultimately won the match 4-6 6-4 6-3, sealing a spot in the last 16.
The dispute was described as a flashpoint that came when Zheng was awarded an ace for 40-0 while serving at 4-3 in the second set, despite the mark appearing well out.
Rules and a familiar anger
Multiple reports described how Rybakina’s protest ran into the same constraint: chair umpire Julie Kjendlie was not permitted to leave her position to check the mark.
In the BBC account, Rybakina pointed to the mark and asked Kjendlie to come down to have a look at it on the clay court, but the official said she could not do so.
Another report said the umpire replied, “I can't come down,” and added, “The rules are like that. Now technology rules and the decision cannot be moved.”
Rybakina continued protesting and signaling with her fingers that it had been out by a lot, while the decision remained immovable.
“Are you kidding me? This is not a joke. The system is wrong. This is not a joke. It hasn't touched. It is absolutely wrong,” she repeated in the La Razón account.
The dispute also echoed a prior incident at the same tournament involving Alexander Zverev, which Rybakina referenced in her comments.
The BBC said last year at the Madrid Open, men’s player Alexander Zverev was warned for a taking a picture of a contested ball mark during another electric line-calling controversy.
Rybakina compared the situation to that earlier clash, saying, “It was, I think, similar to what Zverev had last year because it was in front of her nose. You can't not see it. It was pretty frustrating,” and she added, “It's kind of a stolen point.”
What happened next on court
While Rybakina’s line-calling dispute dominated the night-session WTA discussion, other matches at the Madrid Open also shaped the day’s progression.
“Jannik Sinner continued his quest to become the first man in history to win five Masters 1000 tournaments in a row with a smooth 6-2, 6-3 victory over Danish qualifier Elmer Moller at the Madrid Open on Sunday.”
In the 24 News HD report, Jannik Sinner continued his run with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Danish qualifier Elmer Moller to reach the round of 16 at the Caja Magica.
The same report said Sinner extended his winning streak to 19 matches, describing a run that began early March in Indian Wells, and it also said he captured 24 consecutive victories at the Masters 1000 level dating back to the Paris Masters last October.
Sinner’s post-match quote to Tennis TV emphasized staying calm: “I tried to stay calm, trying to serve well in the important moments,” and he said, “I think today that was the key.”
The 24 News HD report also described Lorenzo Musetti’s win, as he overcame Dutch 29th seed Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5, and it set up a quarter-final spot against Czech 11th seed Jiri Lehecka.
In the WTA draw, the same report said Rybakina shook off the frustration to reach the round of 16 after knocking out Zheng Qinwen 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
It also said Rybakina argued with umpire Julie Kjendlie late in the second set over a mark that she felt clearly indicated a Zheng serve was out but was deemed in by the electronic line-calling system.
The report added that Kjendlie was not permitted to leave her chair, check a mark and overrule the electronic line-calling system, and it said Rybakina wrapped up the win after two hours and 21 minutes of play.
Illness and other WTA outcomes
The Madrid Open day also included a separate thread of physical strain, with Coco Gauff described as affected by a stomach virus during her match.
The 24 News HD report said, “Earlier in the day, Coco Gauff became the latest victim of the stomach virus that has been sweeping through the draw in Madrid,” and it described her vomiting in a bin on the court during her clash with Sorana Cirstea.
It said Gauff asked for a medical timeout during the latter stages before completing the win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the round of 16, and it quoted her reflecting on how she got through it: “Yeah, I don't know, honestly (how I got through that).”
The report also said Gauff would face Noskova in the last 16 and included her explanation that she was trying to finish the match and that “one point turned into another.”
It further listed other players struggling with illness in the Spanish capital, including Iga Swiatek, who was forced to retire from her match against Ann Li on Saturday, and Marin Cilic, who had to withdraw ahead of his second-round meeting with Joao Fonseca on Friday.
The same report said Liudmila Samsonova pulled out of the tournament on Sunday citing illness ahead of her third-round match with Linda Noskova.
In addition, it said fellow American Jessica Pegula was unable to join Gauff in the next round as the fifth seed suffered a 6-1, 6-4 upset against Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk.
Next opponents and debate
Rybakina’s comments about the electronic line-calling system were framed as part of a broader debate about tennis technology and how disputes are handled when no line judges are involved.
“Rybakina expressed distrust in the electronic line-calling system after a controversial call during her match against Zheng Qinwen at the Madrid Open.”
The Devdiscourse report described the incident as “Electronic Line-Calling Controversy Sparks Debate,” and it said Rybakina expressed distrust in the electronic line-calling system after a controversial decision during her victory over Zheng Qinwen at the Madrid Open.
It also stated that the turning point came when Zheng was awarded an ace during the second set despite visible evidence suggesting it was out, and it quoted Rybakina’s frustration that she “I won't trust it at all.”
The same report said Rybakina called the contested point “kind of a stolen point” and set up her next match as a meeting with Anastasia Potapova for a chance to enter the quarter-finals.
FlashScore UK similarly emphasized that Rybakina’s victory over Zheng sealed a spot in the last 16 and said she next faces Anastasia Potapova for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Diario Libre, writing in Spanish, also described her as advancing to the round of 16 after remontar and imponerse a la china Qinwen Zheng por 4-6, 6-4 y 6-3, and it said she would face the winner of the match between Anastasia Potapova and Jelena Ostapenko.
Across the different accounts, the same core dispute remained anchored to the electronic system and the chair umpire’s inability to overrule it, with Rybakina saying, “Because there was no mark even close to what the TV showed.”
In the BBC report, she also said, “It's kind of a stolen point,” while acknowledging that it was Zheng’s serve and that Zheng was serving really well.
