Martina Navratilova expressed frustration during live BBC commentary after Jelena Ostapenko halted play in her Wimbledon first-round match against British player Harriet Dart on Monday afternoon. The Latvian, leading 5-2 in the first set, raised her racket high above her head as Dart prepared to serve at 40-40.
Navratilova's On-Air Reaction
"Why is Ostapenko holding up her racket? Why is she holding it up? [Huge groan]. Seriously?" Navratilova said. "The umpire should have called her up on that. There is no reason for Ostapenko to be holding up her racket." The interruption occurred after Dart had saved two set points and was serving to stay in the set.
Following the brief pause, Ostapenko returned Dart's serve into the net, giving the Briton the advantage. The umpire then addressed the crowd, announcing: "If you have your mobile phone with you can you please make sure it is switched off. Thank you."
Navratilova Softens Stance
Navratilova later acknowledged the distraction, saying: "Oh it's a mobile phone, that is so annoying. You rarely get that happening these days." The incident highlighted ongoing issues with crowd distractions at major tournaments.
Dart capitalised on the resumption by hitting an ace to win the game, but still lost the first set 6-3. She rallied to take the second set 6-3, before Ostapenko clinched the match 6-4 in the deciding third set. Ostapenko, a semi-finalist in 2018, improved on her first-round exit last year.
Players' Form Leading into Wimbledon
Ostapenko entered Wimbledon in reasonable form, having reached the Eastbourne semi-final where she retired due to injury while a set down against Tatjana Maria. Dart, meanwhile, exited Eastbourne early after a three-set loss to Zeynep Sonmez.
