An unsettling turn of events rattled the French Open, as Japan’s Miyu Kato and Indonesia’s Aldila Sutjiadi faced disqualification due to an inadvertent hit to a ball girl. The accident raises questions over regulations governing such situations, with many pondering whether the outcome was fair or too severe.
In their women’s doubles third-round match against Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo, Kato and Sutjiadi trailed by a set but took the lead in the second set. During the match, Kato accidentally hit a ball girl in the neck, which led to the umpire calling off the match. Both Kato and the ball girl were visibly distraught, and the incident has drawn attention to the rules that led to the disqualification.
Tennis Channel commentators showed sympathy for the players but highlighted the significance of the rule, emphasizing the automatic default if a ball person, lines person, or spectator is hit. Nevertheless, the umpire initially gave Kato a warning. After discussing the situation with the ball girl and consulting officials, the match was called off due to a default by Kato and Sutjiadi, raising concerns over the incident’s severity and potential harm.
The Rules and Regulations of Tennis classify striking a ball girl or ball boy as “abuse of balls” and a violation of the Code of Conduct. Thus, hitting a ball person unintentionally could result in a default or disqualification, with the officials considering the severity while determining the appropriate action. The definition of abuse of balls includes intentionally hitting a ball out of the court, dangerously or recklessly within the court or with negligent disregard for the consequences.
This unsettling incident has undoubtedly prompted questions about fairness in tennis regulations and whether the consequences in this case were satisfactory or overly harsh.
