Viktor Troicki, the former world No. 12 who joined Novak Djokovic's coaching team in May, was fined £7,500 ($10,000) at Wimbledon a decade ago for unleashing a tirade at chair umpire Damiano Torella. The incident occurred during Troicki's second-round match against Albert Ramos-Vinolas in 2016.
Disputed Call Sparks Outburst
Troicki, then the No. 27 seed, became enraged after Ramos-Vinolas hit an ace that was initially called out but then overruled, awarding the point. The court lacked Hawkeye technology at the time. Troicki grabbed the ball from a ball boy and marched to Torella, demanding he check for chalk dust. “No white, look at it! Come on, please, look at it, once, once! Look at it,” he shouted. He received a code violation for smacking the ball away in frustration.
He continued: “You’re the worst umpire in the world. What are you doing? Did you see the ball? You’re so bad.” Troicki lost the match on the next point and refused to shake hands with Torella, adding, “You’re horrible, you know what you did. You are the worst ever, you’re an idiot. You didn’t see anything in the match. You made about 30 mistakes for him and for me. What are you doing?”
Troicki's Regret and Fine
After the match, Troicki admitted he was “boiling” and “couldn’t talk properly.” He said, “He should be the one who is fined, he cost me. I’m not saying he cost me the match but he cost me an important point. I behaved well. I didn’t do anything until that moment. He’s doing such a match and I’ve never seen him in my whole career. That’s just crazy.” Days later, the All England Club fined Troicki £7,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Return to Wimbledon as Coach
Now 40, Troicki is back at SW19 as part of Djokovic's coaching team. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is the No. 7 seed this year. Troicki has appeared calmer in the player's box, though animated conversations with Djokovic have been noted during his first two matches. Unlike a decade ago, live electronic line-calling is used on all show courts, eliminating the need for human umpire disputes.
