Former umpire suggests what problem tennis needs to fix to make it ‘more attractive for people’

Sam Cooper 18 Dec 2025 4:30 PM

Former umpire Carlos Bernardes said tennis authorities should look at the issue of time if they want the sport to grow.

Former umpire Carlos Bernardes suggested tennis needs to find a ‘solution’ to the matter of time if it wants to make the sport “more attractive for future generations.”

Bernardes oversaw 8,000 matches before retiring last year and was asked by Ubitennis for his thoughts on how the game can improve.

“It’s hard to think of a rule that could radically change tennis,” he said. “One of the main problems in tennis is time.

“If you watch a match, it can last 40-50 minutes or 4-5 hours, and this problem of not knowing when it starts and ends, what you can do in the meantime, is the complex part of this sport.

“Finding a solution to time would make tennis more attractive for future generations.

“There are tournaments that are trying to experiment with something in this direction, but they’re still exhibitions and I don’t like them very much.

“All the organisations need to sit down together to find a solution to this, without changing the sport too much, but making it more attractive for people.”

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Bernardes retired last year as he umpired fellow Italian Jannik Sinner in his final match at the ATP Finals. Reflecting on that, the former umpire praised the comments of Sinner after the player had just won the trophy.

“2024 was very special because ending with that match and those words from Sinner, with the affection of the other players, the coaches, and the people who worked with me for all those years was really nice. Sinner’s comment was really nice because the moment he had just won the ATP Finals, he remembered me.”

“Italy is going through a very special moment in tennis. I can’t remember a period like this in any other country, and not just on the men’s level.

“It’s wonderful to see that Italian tennis is moving in this direction, although I don’t think Jannik is the only one to be there. Cobolli, Musetti, Paolini, and the doubles players are showing how strong they are on the court and are pushing each other.

“I hope this continues for many years to come for Italian tennis.”