Former World No.23 Damir Dzumhur was handed an official warning during his first-round Wimbledon defeat to Britain's Arthur Fery after launching a furious tirade at the chair umpire over a controversial 'let' call. The Bosnian, 34, won the opening set 6-3 and broke early in the second set, but the match turned on a disputed point in the fourth game of the second set.
Controversy erupts over missed let call
With Dzumhur serving at 15-30, Fery returned the serve and Dzumhur sliced into the net, giving Fery two break points. Dzumhur immediately walked to the net with arms outstretched, claiming his serve had hit the tape and should have been called a let. American chair umpire Greg Allensworth did not make the call, infuriating Dzumhur.
Dzumhur confronted Fery at the net, saying: 'It was a let. You played the point, you didn't stop, huh? Wait, wait. You won the point. Just be honest. I don't care what he [the umpire] is saying.' Fery responded: 'I didn't stop, I didn't hear a let. I thought you [the umpire] had heard it.'
Dzumhur's outburst and warning
Turning to Allensworth, Dzumhur said: 'Did you see the let? Did you hear the let? So you are that bad that you cannot hear, and everybody heard? I am saying you are bad. You made the mistake. He [Fery] stopped.' After returning to the baseline, Dzumhur sarcastically applauded Fery and called out 'Fair play, man!'
Fery converted the break point, but Dzumhur continued muttering 'so bad' under his breath during the next game, leading to an official warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. He lost the next four games in a row to drop the set and summoned match referee James Garner during the set break, complaining: 'It's very tough to play when there's someone who cannot do his job. He has nothing to worry about apart from this [the let]. It would be the same if I came to the tennis court and could not hit a shot.'
Fery cruises to victory
Fery, who wore headphones to block out Dzumhur's complaints, won the match in four sets, with Dzumhur winning only three games over the final two sets. 'I mean, it was expected, to be honest. He does that with everyone,' Fery said post-match. 'He obviously wants to make a problem with the ref, with the umpire, and then is trying to speak to me about it. But there is nothing to really speak about.'
Fery became just the second British player to reach the second round at Wimbledon after a disappointing start for home players. Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper withdrew before their first-round matches, while Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter suffered defeats. Katie Swan was the only other British winner, beating Irina-Camelia Begu in her first Wimbledon appearance since 2023.
