At the Shanghai Masters qualifying tournament, world No. 140, Marc Polmans faced a moment of frustration that led to some unwanted consequences. While ruing on missing a match point, he struck the tennis ball in anger, unintentionally hitting the chair umpire square in the face. This regrettable episode resulted in Polmans’ immediate disqualification.
The incident triggered a wave of reactions on social media, and some fans cited similar incidents that had happened in the past. One fan wrote on social media X, “100% deserved, players need to be held accountable, hope he gets a hefty fine on top of it. Gaston also threw a racquet at a line umpire yesterday and didn’t even apologize, should’ve gotten disqualified.”
100% deserved, players need to be held accountable for their actions, hope he gets a hefty fine on top of it.
Gaston also threw a racquet at a line umpire yesterday and didn’t even apologize, should’ve been disqualified.— dfgh (@baoghaste) October 3, 2023
Another fan humorously drew a parallel to Novak Djokovic’s infamous disqualification at the US Open, with a remark that Polmans had “paid homage to Djokovic OMG.” along with a laughing emoji. Novak Djokovic had allegedly vented his anger on the tennis ball while losing a point to Pablo Busta, hitting the line umpire accidentally.
Among those offering their perspective were some fellow Australian players, including John Millman. Millman defended Polmans’ character while expressing concern for the umpire’s well-being, stating, “Really hope the umpire is okay. They should be safe working in their environment. No excuses for this. No one would feel worse than Marc about this. He’s possibly the nicest person I know.”
Really hope the umpire is okay. They should be safe working in their environment. No excuses for this.
No one would feel worse than Marc about this. He’s possibly the nicest person I know. https://t.co/vqaj9HTyl1
— John Millman (@johnhmillman) October 3, 2023
Additionally, Nick Kyrgios, a former Wimbledon finalist, brought attention to the potential fines Polmans might face, drawing from his own experiences with fines related to unsportsmanlike conduct.
Marc Polmans apologizes to the chair umpire
In the aftermath of the incident, Marc Polmans took responsibility for his actions and issued a statement. He shared that chair umpire Ben Anderson had accepted his apology, acknowledging that the ball’s impact was unintentional and a result of his frustration. In a display of sportsmanship, he even expressed his intent to treat Ben to a coffee when they meet again.
On his social media post, Polmans wrote, “An update from me – the umpire, Ben, has accepted my apology for my actions – he knows it was unintentional…We both move on. It was a high-pressure situation and I should have reacted better.” He further added on his Instagram story, “I look forward to shouting Ben a coffee next time we meet.”
An update from me – the umpire , Ben, has accepted my apology for my actions – he knows it was unintentional and I shanked the ball on the frame in frustration in the heat of the moment.
We both move on.
It was a high pressure situation and I should have reacted better.— marc polmans (@marcpolmans) October 4, 2023
Fortunately, the chair umpire was not seriously injured, and an ice pack helped soothe his nose and cheek. At the moment of his unwarranted exit, he held a 7-6 (3), 6-6 (6) lead and was just two points away from defeating his opponent, Stefano Napolitano. This victory would have secured his spot in the Shanghai Masters main draw and would have marked a significant milestone in his career.
