Archive · 4 Oct 2026
Djokovic Fumes After Zverev Hindrance Call Replays Point
During a tennis match, Zverev said a moving picture on a screen distracted him.
He kept playing but then missed a shot.
The umpire agreed that the point should be played again.
Djokovic thought Zverev should have stopped the game right away if he was distracted.
Zverev said he was unsure whether he could challenge the point.
Djokovic called the decision unfair and criticized the rule.
Djokovic still won the match in three sets.
The win made his record in Beijing 32 wins and no losses.
Alexander Zverev said a changing image on a side LED screen distracted him during a rally.
The chair umpire accepted Zverev’s explanation and ordered the point replayed after he missed a forehand.
Novak Djokovic argued Zverev should have stopped play when the distraction occurred, not complained afterward.
Djokovic called the rule change “one of the stupidest” and said it could let players challenge after losing a rally.
Djokovic defeated top seed Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 35 minutes, extending his Beijing record to 32-0.
- Who
- Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev; the chair umpire ruled on the disputed point.
- What
- A hindrance call led to a point being replayed, prompting Djokovic’s protest; Djokovic later won the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
- When
- During Djokovic’s match against Zverev; the article does not give a date.
- Where
- Beijing, China, at the China Open.
- Why
- Zverev said a changing image on a side LED screen distracted him during the rally.
Djokovic’s objection
Zverev’s explanation
When to raise a distraction
Djokovic’s objection
Djokovic argued that a player who is distracted should stop play immediately, rather than continue and complain after losing the point.
Zverev’s explanation
Zverev said he was unsure whether he was allowed to challenge the point because of the distraction.
Replay decision
Djokovic’s objection
Djokovic said the ruling made little sense and could let players play through a rally before challenging after a lost point.
Zverev’s explanation
The chair umpire accepted Zverev’s explanation and ordered the point replayed.
- Match result
- Djokovic defeated Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
- Match duration
- Two hours and 35 minutes.
- Disputed call
- The chair umpire ordered the point replayed after Zverev said an LED screen distracted him.
- Djokovic's criticism
- He called the rule change “one of the stupidest” he had heard.
- Beijing record
- The victory took Djokovic to 32-0 in Beijing.
- Winning-streak milestone
- The article says Djokovic surpassed Rafael Nadal’s 31-match unbeaten start at Roland Garros for the best winning start at a men's singles event in the Open Era.