Five controversies at Wimbledon 2025 that rocked tennis universe

The 2025 edition of Wimbledon saw several heated moments between players and organisers.

No tennis tournament is complete without drama and action. Wimbledon 2025 has come under question due to several organisational mistakes and some unusual rules of the championships. Moreover, considering it is one of the most prestigious events, players give their everything on court, often resulting in verbal arguments in the heat of the moment.

The strange London weather did not help, as day 1 of SW19 recorded the hottest ever opening day in Wimbledon history. The curtain eventually fell in glory for first-time winners Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner, but several controversial moments left fans and organisers worried.

Top five controversies at Wimbledon 2025-

Organisational controversies

Historically, one of the biggest challenges with SW19 has been enforcing strict curfews for sport, forcing suspension of play by 11 PM local time each night. This means that any match continuing beyond these hours will be stopped with immediate effect and resumed the next day. However, this can affect a player’s momentum and negate the importance of playing long hours of tennis.

The opening round match between Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard saw the Frenchman take the first two sets, before the American displayed an impressive comeback to level terms at 2-2. With less than an hour to go before curfew, the chair umpire asked both players if they wanted to continue. While Fritz agreed, Perricard, who had nothing going his way, demanded that play be suspended.

American Ben Shelton needed just 𝟭 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗘 to finish his suspended match this morning 🫡#4thOfJuly | #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/gXkaHwbeJU

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) July 4, 2025

Fritz later revealed that had his opponent agreed, they could have finished the match that same day. Eventually, the fifth seed prevailed in a tight deciding set.

A similar scene unfolded in Ben Shelton’s second-round clash, where both players wanted to continue, and the American was just one game away from victory. Amusingly, they returned the next day only for Shelton to close it out in under 60 seconds, once again exposing the absurdity of the tournament’s rigid scheduling rules.

Marin Cilic criticized Wimbledon for scheduling his fourth-round match at 11 am, forcing him to warm up indoors since practice courts opened late. He found the court too soft after overnight rain, making play difficult. The Croatian suggested later start times for fourth-round singles and felt bitter about being the only early match, questioning the need for such timing.

Sabalenka fumes over Amisimova

During the semi-final round between World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova, the American celebrated a point after the ball clipped the net, instead of offering the customary apology gesture.

Sabalenka was visibly displeased, later revealing, “I just looked at her and, I mean, for sure she didn’t hear me. I was like, ‘You don’t want to say sorry?’ She just wanted, I guess, badly to win this match,” expressing her frustration in the post-match press conference.

At what point does the tennis community call out Sabalenka for her behavior? Here she is bullying Anisimova for not saying sorry for a net cord point. Let’s not forget her rudeness to Coco Gauff. #wimbledon #tennis pic.twitter.com/IPvlFXou2O

— Tim Tyrrell (@TimTyrrellNY) July 10, 2025

Following this, Anisimova even complained to the chair umpire about the Belarusian’s loud grunting, which followed heated exchanges between the players. Eventually, the 23-year-old stunned the top seed to make her Grand Slam final debut.

Technology Failure

For the first time in Wimbledon history, line-umpires were removed from the major tournament and replaced with AI and ball-tracking technology for all line-related decisions.

A massive blunder took place during the round of 16 clash between Sonay Kartal and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. It was game point for the Russian, and Kartal advanced near the net and hit the ball long; however, no ‘OUT’ call was made.

Pavlyuchenkova absolutely robbed on game point to go up 54…ref missed it clearly out then replay system “didn’t work”…back to deuce and lost game…against a British opponent 🤔Brutal for those of us with Pav EV pic.twitter.com/YlwOWAS1aH

— The Mush Bros (@TheMushBros) July 6, 2025

It was so obvious that the ball had gone beyond the baseline that Pavlyuchenkova stopped playing, but the chair umpire eventually decided to replay the point. Understandably, this did not sit well with the Russian, leading her to accuse officials of “stealing the game”. Pavlyuchenkova eventually won the set in a tiebreaker and sealed the match in straight sets.

Emma Raducanu and her relationship status

Cameron Norrie was left surprised during his post-match press conference when a reporter asked him if he was dating Emma Raducanu.

The British No. 1, clearly caught off guard, initially responded with “Sorry?” before firmly clarifying, “I’m not, no. You can ask her.” This incident fueled ongoing speculation, as Raducanu has also been linked in rumors to Carlos Alcaraz, though both players have consistently kept their private lives out of the spotlight.

Emma Raducanu in attendance for Andrey Rublev vs. Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wsah8z06Z4

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 6, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz and Raducanu have been in the spotlight since they teamed up for the US Open 2025 mixed doubles event, and rumors about their relationship have persisted ever since. The Brit’s occasional appearances at the Spaniard’s matches have only fueled these speculations further.

From ‘doping-buddies’ to Wimbledon champion

Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek celebrated their maiden Wimbledon triumphs, with each taking a unique yet hard-fought path to their most special career victory so far. However, many critics questioned the tournament and its broader impact on the sport, particularly after Sinner had received a three-month suspension earlier this year for doping negligence.

Swiatek’s case was far less serious, involving a sleep medication that is regulated in Poland but does not carry the same classification globally. Similarly, Sinner was banned for ‘negligence,’ not for deliberately using performance-enhancing drugs to gain an advantage on the court.

Congratulations to Clostebol & Trimetazidine!

— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) July 13, 2025

Unfortunately, many pundits and critics continue to either deliberately target the new winner or simply ignore the facts. This social media-driven narrative was unexpectedly amplified by Nick Kyrgios, who has become a prominent voice in such controversies.

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