Listed are current and past tennischair umpires who hold or have held a gold badge International Tennis Federation (ITF) rating. Gold badge umpires typically officiate Grand Slam, ATP Tour and WTA Tour matches. The list includes only those who hold or have held a gold badge as a chair umpire, and not those who hold or have held a similar badge in refereeing or chief umpiring. The year, where included, indicates when the umpire obtained his or her respective gold badge status.[1]
There are three levels of training sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation. After officiating at non-pro events, a chair umpire may enter the "Level 1" program in order to gain a green badge. This is taught in French and/or Spanish and is specifically aimed at officiating in South and Central America and Africa. "Level 2" schools are only taught in English and are for umpires who have already shown proficiency at ITF Pro Circuit events, Davis Cup and Fed Cup ties, and ATP and WTA sanctioned events. It is here that an umpire would receive a white badge. Those chair umpires who pass a "Level 3" school start as a Bronze Badge and can be promoted to Silver and then to Gold following a review of their work rate and performance in the annual review conducted by the ITF, ATP and WTA.[2]
ATP umpire.[4] He received a ball shot during a Davis Cup match from Shapovalov which led the player to be defaulted and him to have eye surgery. He made a wrong call in a first-round match between Shelton and Etcheverry, where a long ball from Shelton bounced out and then hit Etcheverry in the leg, with the umpire ruling a fault shot and awarding the point to Shelton.[5]
During the Wawrinka-Cobolli first-round match in Shanghai 2024, he made an error in counting when Wawrinka was serving in the third set second game, calling 0-30 instead of 15-all, that went unnoticed and led Cobolli to break Wawrinka's serve and eventually win the match.
After thirty plus years of umpiring, Carlos retired during the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.[8]
Damien Dumusois
France
2009
ITF umpire; Officiated the 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, and the 2023 French Open men's singles final, the 2010 and 2022 French Open women's singles final, the 2017 Wimbledon men's singles final, the 2020 Australian Open Men's Singles Final, the 2021 US Open men's singles final, and the 2024 Olympic Games Men‘s singles final. As a regional officer (Africa) at ITF.[9]
Emmanuel Joseph
France
2005
WTA umpire; Officiated the 2006, 2008, and 2015 French Open women's singles finals.
ITF umpire; Officiated the 2023 US Open men's singles final. Had a controversial call on a match-point in a round of 16 match between Draper and Auger-Aliassime in the 2024 Cincinnati ATP.[11]
Gianluca Moscarella
Italy
2010
ITF and WTA umpire. After being suspended during the 2019 Firenze Challenger due to an unprofessional dialog with a player and insinuations to a ball-girl,[12] he was given authorization to return officiating on women matches on 25 April 2022, although the allegations are clearly shown in a video.[13]
James Keothavong
Great Britain
2010
ITF umpire; Officiated the 2014, 2018 and 2024 Wimbledon men's singles final, 2016 and 2021 Wimbledon women's singles final, the 2017 and 2019 Australian Open men's singles final, the 2018 French Open women's singles final and the 2022 French Open men's singles final and the 2024 US Open women's singles final. Also officiated 2019 Fed Cup Final.[13] Brother of Anne Keothavong.[14]
John Blom
Australia
2012
ITF umpire; Officiated the 2013 and 2022 Australian Open men's singles final and the 2016 Australian Open women's singles final.[15][16]
WTA umpire; Officiated the 2012 and the 2013 WTA Finals finals, the 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2021 French Open women's singles finals, and the 2018 Wimbledon women's singles final.[17]
ITF umpire; Officiated the 2021 Australian Open men's singles final,[21] the 2022 US Open men's singles final and the 2024 French Open women‘s singles final
Pierre Bacchi
France
2015
WTA umpire. Officiated 2021 French Open women's singles semifinal between Barbora Krejcikova and Maria Sakkari, with a controversial ball mark inspection on a match point for Krejcikova.[22]
Renaud Lichtenstein
France
2015
ATP umpire; Officiated the 2017 French Open women's singles final, the 2019 French Open men’s singles final, the 2022 Wimbledon men's singles final [23] and the 2024 French Open men‘s singles final.
Richard Haigh
Great Britain
2021
ATP umpire; Officiated the 2019 Wimbledon men's doubles final and 2022 Wimbledon women's singles semi final.[24] Officiated the 2023 Wimbledon men's singles semifinal match between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic with a controversial hindrance call against Djokovic.[25]
Roland Herfel
Germany
ATP umpire and supervisor.[26] Defaulted, after being called on-court by chair umpire Greg Allensworth, Shapovalov in his quarterfinals match at the Citi Washington ATP versus Shelton, for allegedly swearing at a person in the crowd. [27]
ITF umpire; referee since 1989. Officiated the women's singles final at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, as well as the women's singles final at the 5 Grand Slam tournaments, including the 2016 US Open women's singles Final, the 2017 Australian Open women's singles final, the 2018 US Open men's singles final and the 2019 US Open women's singles final, and 2021 Australian Open Women's final. ("Umpire Golden Slam") Umpired all four of the women's doubles of the Grand Slams.[30]
She officiated the 2021 Tokyo Olympics Men Singles Final Match. She became the first woman to do this.
Aurélie Tourte
France
2017
Third woman in French history to hold a gold badge in chair umpiring.,[31] and believed to be the first woman to sign a full-time contract on the ATP Tour's elite team of umpires as of 2019.[32] Officiated the 2017 French Open women's doubles final, the 2019 French Open women's singles final, the 2021 French Open men's singles Final, the 2022 Wimbledon women's singles final, the 2022 French Open Men's Double Final, and the 2024 Australian Open men's singles final. First Woman to Umpire an ATP 500 Final. Chaired the 2020 US Open match where Djokovic was defaulted.[33]
ITF umpire; Officiated the 2011 US Open women's singles final, the 2011 WTA Finals final, the 2015 and 2024 US Open men's singles final, the 2017, 2023 US Open women's singles final, the 2017 Wimbledon women's singles final, the 2019 Australian Open, US Open Mixed Doubles final, the 2020 Australian Open women's singles final, the 2022 French Open Women's Doubles final and the 2023 French Open Women's singles final.[34][35]
Juan (Jennifer) Zhang
China
2012
WTA umpire; Officiated the 2016 WTA Finals final. First woman in Chinese history to hold a gold badge in chair umpiring.[15]
Julie Kjendlie
Norway
2015
WTA umpire; Officiated the 2018 and 2019 WTA Finals Doubles final.[36]
Louise Azemar Engzell (née Engzell)
Sweden
2006
ITF umpire; Officiated the women's singles final at the 2012 Olympics, the 2011 and 2020 French Open women's singles final, the 2012 and 2022 US Open women's singles final, the 2019 Australian Open women's singles final, the 2020 Australian Open men's doubles Final, the 2020 US Open men's singles final, the 2023 Australian Open men's singles final, and the 2023 Wimbledon women's singles final (Umpire Golden Slam).[37]
Officiated the 2018 and 2021 Wimbledon women's doubles final and 2019, 2022 and 2023 Wimbledon women's singles semi finals.[39] Officiated the 2024 Wimbledon women’s singles final.
ITF umpire; Officiated the 2018 Australian Open women's singles final, the 2019 Wimbledon Championships women's singles final, the 2021 US Open Women's singles final and the Fed Cup Final 2019. She officiated the 2021 Tokyo Olympics Women Singles Final Match. Officiated the 2021 Billie Jean King Cup Final. In 2022 she officiated the Australian Open women's singles final.[41]
Miriam Bley
Germany
2019
WTA umpire; First German Gold Badge Female Umpire. Officiated at the 2022 WTA finals in Fort Worth and the 2023 Wimbledon women's singles semi final[42]
Paula Vieira Souza
Brazil
2017
WTA umpire; First South American Gold Badge Female Umpire.[43]
Former
List of former gold-badge tennis umpires
Name
Nation
Year
Notes
Andreas Egli
Switzerland
ITF Grand Slam Supervisor. Supervisor of Australian Open, Roland Garros, The Championship Wimbledon, US Open. As a supervisor, he was involved as a consultant in the decision to disqualify Novak Djokovic in the 2020 US Open.[44]
Anne Lasserre Ullrich
France
First French woman to chair men's matches at Grand Slams.[citation needed]
Obtained his international certification in 1988 and became one of the first 6 professional tennis umpires in 1989 (first professional Chair umpire in France). Officiated on 10 consecutive French Open Finals (1989-1998), including Chang-Edberg in 1989, 2 Australian Open Finals (1991), 2 Olympic finals (1992, 2000), and 10 Davis Cup Finals. He retired from Officiating in 2001.[47][48]
WTA Supervisor, GS Supervisor. Umpired Australian Open finals 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 US Open 1997 Umpired the Olympic Games Women's final 1996.[citation needed]
Fabián Cherny
Argentina
1997
He was the only South American Chair Umpire at the 1996 Summer Olympics event. Worked the Australian, US and French Opens and several Davis Cup ties.[58] He umpired the only tennis match where Marcelo Ríos played as number one of the world, Ríos-Gumy in a 1998 Davis Cup American zone match between Argentina and Chile.[59]
Félix Torralba
Spain
2013
Former WTA Umpire. Now working for the WTA Mallorca Tournament.[18][60]
He was the longest-serving umpire at Wimbledon; over 40 years.[62][63]
Georgina Clark
Great Britain
First female umpire to officiate a Grand Slam final (Wimbledon 1984).[citation needed]
Gerry Armstrong
Great Britain
1987
ATP Supervisor; Assistant Referee of The Championship, Wimbledon.[64]
Jake Garner
USA
2007
18 Grand Slam finals, four Davis Cup finals, a Fed Cup final and the men's gold-medal match at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Officiated the 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 US Open Men's finals, the 2011, 2015, 2018 Australian Open Men's finals, the 2010 and 2016 Wimbledon Men's Final, and 2008 Olympic Games Men's singles final. Retired in 2018. Now Chief of Umpire at the US Open and senior manager for the USTA.[65][66]
Jane Harvey
Great Britain
Umpired 5 Wimbledon singles finals, 4 Olympic Gold medal finals, and first female to umpire a World Group Davis Cup. Over 10 years as a full-time official.[67]
Jaume Campistol
Spain
ITF umpire; Officiated the 2020 US Open women's singles final and the 2024 Australian Open women's singles final.[68] Retired in after the end of the 2024 season.
George Grime
UK
Five Wimbledon Finals 1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992. Davis Cup Finals 1984 and 1986 as chair umpire. 1988 as referee.
First of three top Portuguese officials, opened the path to two current top officials, Carlos Ramos and Carlos Sanchez.[72]
Kerrilyn Cramer
Australia
Officiating several time Australian Open Ladies Single Final match.[73]
Lars Graff
Sweden
1990
ATP Supervisor. Umpired the 2009 Wimbledon Final. While umpiring in the 2003 Wimbledon match, Greg Rusedski was fined £1500 for an obscene outburst.[74][75]
Retired and not associated with tennis officiating [76]
Mariana Alves
Portugal
WTA umpire; Officiated the 2010 Wimbledon women's singles final and the 2007 WTA Finals final. Also officiate 2019 WTA Finals final at Shenzhen in her last career match. Now a WTA supervisor.[77]
She umpired the Capriati-Williams match in the 2004 US Open, where the wrong calls prompted the introduction of the Hawk-eye system.[78]
Mike Morrissey
Great Britain
Umpired Wimbledon's final. ITF Head of Officiating during the 90's. Held all 3 gold badges simultaneously (chair umpire, chief umpire, referee).[citation needed]
ITF umpire; officiated on 9 Davis Cup Finals and 14 Grand Slam singles finals, including in 2008 Wimbledon Championships Men's final, 2009 and 2012 Australian Open Men's final, 2009, 2014 and 2017 French Open Men's final, 2016 French Open Women's Final and 2016 Olympic Games men's singles Final. Retired in 2017.[82][83]
She officiated a total of 13 Grand Slam Finals and 4 Fed Cup Finals. First woman to officiate a Grand Slam Men's Single Final Match (Roland Garros) and a Davis Cup Final (Croatia-Slovakia, 2005). She retired in 2007.[87]
The original 8 full-time world officials for the (then new) 1990 ATP Tour
Dana Loconto (USA). Dana produced the first ever device to digitalize umpiring, the ATP palm-top.[89] He was overruled by ITF Supervisor Ken Farrar in the 1996 US Open, during the Ríos-Tarango match.
Gerry Armstrong (Great Britain). Gerry defaulted Mc Enroe in the 1990 Australian Open, after the rules had just been modified. ITF Supervisor Ken Farrar was called on court to confirm the new ruling.[90]
Paulo Pereira (Brazil). Paulo obtained a degree in civil engineering before moving full-time into the officiating world.[91]
Pedro Bravo (Chile). Pedro was a tennis teacher before umpiring. He worked for the Chilean Tennis Federation as Tournament Director. Now deceased.[92]
Richard Ings (Australia). Richard defaulted Robert Seguso in a match versus Andre Agassi at the 1989 Indian Wells ATP Tournament.[93]
Richard Kaufman (USA). After retirement, Richard became Director of Officials for the USTA and worked closely to Paul Hawkins to develop the Hawk-Eye system.[94]
Rudy Berger (Germany). Rudy worked in the Ministry of Justice in former West-Germany before becoming a full-time official.[95] Deceased in 2007.[96]
Steve Ullrich (USA). Steve had a distinct voice that allowed tennis spectators to easily identify him when on the chair.[97]