German tennis prodigy Ida Wobker, who was disqualified from the Wimbledon girls' singles tournament after her racket struck a spectator, returned to the All England Club just days later and secured a victory in the girls' doubles competition.
Disqualification Incident
The 15-year-old, ranked 24th in the ITF junior rankings, was trailing 6-0, 5-5 in her first-round singles match against Maria Valentina Pop on Saturday. After going 40-0 down in the second set, Wobker sent a shot across the baseline and, in frustration, threw her racket to the ground. The racket bounced and hit a spectator in the crowd on Court 11.
The chair umpire immediately defaulted Wobker and called a supervisor onto the court. According to The Athletic, no spectators were injured. The decision handed the win to Pop after 91 minutes of play. Wobker committed 44 unforced errors and 11 double faults during the match.
Winning Return in Doubles
On Tuesday, Wobker partnered with Denisa Zoldakova in the girls' doubles event. The pair defeated Barbara Kostecka and Mariia Makarova in straight sets to advance to the round of 16. They are scheduled to play on Wednesday against American duo Lani Chang—daughter of former French Open champion Michael Chang—and Margaret Sohns.
Rules on Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Under the ITF Grand Slam rulebook, Article III, Section R defines unsportsmanlike conduct as any misconduct clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport. Section O states: “Players shall not violently or with anger hit, kick or throw a racquet or other equipment within the precincts of the tournament site. Violation of this Section shall subject a player to a fine up to $50,000 for each violation.” Additionally, if such violation occurs during a match, the player is penalised according to the Point Penalty Schedule.
