Why did Alexander Zverev take a photo from his phone during his Madrid Open match?

Alexander Zverev caused a bit of drama at the Madrid Open when he pulled out his phone in the middle of a match to take a photo of a disputed ball mark. The incident happened during his second-round match against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, which Zverev eventually won 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(0).

But what really happened, and why did it become a big talking point in the tennis world? Here’s everything explained:

What happened?

In the 10th game of the second set, Zverev got upset when a backhand shot from Davidovich Fokina was called in by the electronic line calling system. Zverev believed the ball had actually landed out and complained to the chair umpire, Mohamed Lahyani. He even said that there was a “malfunction in the system.”

When the umpire didn’t change the call, Zverev did something unusual, he grabbed his phone and clicked a photo of the ball mark on the clay court. Later, he posted the photo on his Instagram story with the caption: “Just going to leave this one here. This was called in. Interesting call.”

The photo clearly showed that the ball mark was about three or four centimeters away from the line, making it look like the system had made a mistake.

Zverev given a warning

After he took the photo, Zverev was given a warning for “unsportsmanlike conduct.” Players are not allowed to use their phones during matches, no matter the reason. Even though he was trying to prove a point, taking out a phone during play broke the rules.

What is the issue?

Clay-court tournaments had been using line judges to make calls despite electronic line calling being implemented on grass and hard courts. If a player disagreed with the line judge, the umpire would come down from the chair to check the ball mark personally.

But now, the ATP has removed line judges from all clay tournaments this season and has implemented the use of electronic line calling. The only exception is the French Open, where the traditional system will stay for now.

There have already been a few controversies with this system. Earlier this month, Aryna Sabalenka was also warned for taking a photo of a disputed ball mark at the Stuttgart Open. Victoria Azarenka posted a photo of a disputed call after her loss at the Madrid Open too.

Many players feel that on clay, where ball marks are clearly visible, the old system of human checking was better.