Damir Dzumhur was handed an official warning during his first-round Wimbledon defeat to Britain's Arthur Fery after launching a furious tirade at chair umpire Greg Allensworth over a controversial let call. The former world number 23, now 34, won the opening set 6-3 and broke Fery's serve early in the second, but the match turned on a disputed point that left Dzumhur incensed and ultimately contributed to his spiral to a four-set loss.
The Controversial Point
Down 15-30 in the fourth game of the second set, Dzumhur served and Fery returned the ball before Dzumhur sliced into the net, handing his opponent two break points. Dzumhur immediately walked to the net with arms outstretched, insisting his serve had clipped the tape and should have been called a let. No such call was made by Allensworth, an American official.
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.'
Verbal Attack on the Umpire
Dzumhur then turned his ire on Allensworth, asking: '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.' He sarcastically applauded Fery and called out 'Fair play, man!' before reluctantly returning to the baseline.
Fery converted the break point, but Dzumhur continued muttering 'so bad' under his breath during the next game, prompting Allensworth to issue an official warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. Dzumhur lost the next four games in a row to drop the set and summoned match referee James Garner during the set break to continue his complaints.
Dzumhur's Post-Match Outburst
'It's very tough to play when there's someone who cannot do his job,' Dzumhur told Garner. 'I'm sure you are aware of this. He has nothing to worry about apart from this [the let]. I don't know what to say, he has one thing to do and he can't do it good. It would be the same if I came to the tennis court and could not hit a shot.' Fery, wearing headphones to block out the commotion, cruised to victory as Dzumhur won just three games across the final two sets.
Fery's Reaction
Asked about the incident after the match, Fery said: 'I mean, it was expected, to be honest. He does that with everyone. If it's a let, it's a let for everyone, right, it's not just a let for him. Whether the point carries on or not, it's the same for both of us. 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. Just trying to get the other player involved for no reason.'
British Success at Wimbledon
Fery became just the second British player to reach the second round at Wimbledon after a disappointing start for home competitors. Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper withdrew before their first-round matches, while Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter suffered defeats. The only other British victory came from Katie Swan, who battled past Irina-Camelia Begu in her first Wimbledon appearance since 2023.
