Frances Tiafoe faced allegations of misusing the ATP's restroom break regulations during his match. Wimbledon defeat to Cameron Norrie .
Britain's Norrie emerged victorious in a thrilling second-round clash with America's Tiafoe, securing victory with scores of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 after nearly three hours of play.
Tiafoe, ranked world number 12, began the match with momentum but struggled during the second and third sets. After finding himself trailing, he asked for a bathroom timeout.
However, it was some time before Tiafoe left the court, as the 27-year-old rummaged through his bag looking for a clean shirt and shoes before an official guided him out of Court One.
At Grand Slam tournaments, players may take up to two restroom breaks during best-of-five matches. According to regulations, each break lasts for a maximum of three minutes; however, this can be extended by an additional two minutes should the player require time to change their attire.
The break between the conclusion of the third set and the beginning of the fourth lasted nearly eight minutes, prompting BBC analysts Andrew Castle and John Lloyd to criticize Tiafoe for taking advantage of the regulation.
"It seems as though he might be heading off the court, yet he's spending quite some time deciding what to do next," said former Australian Open runner-up Lloyd.
He can't leave right now; he's already spent three minutes here. You shouldn't make someone wait that long before leaving. If you need to go, then just go immediately.
I believe this isn’t fair. If you need to use the restroom, you should be allowed to go right away. Step aside!
'We've witnessed similar situations where players lose their composure when behind in the game, leading them to change tactics entirely afterward. It might be exactly what he required, yet I strongly disagree—this approach isn’t right.'
ATP bathroom break rules
Players are permitted one trip to the restroom during best-of-three-set matches and two such breaks in best-of-five-set encounters at Grand Slam tournaments.
For best-of-five matches, players are allowed one break within the initial three sets, with an additional break permitted only following the conclusion of the third set.
Breaks are allowed solely at the conclusion of a set, and should players remain away from the court for an extended period, they may face penalties for exceeding the allotted time.
They get three minutes for their bathroom break and an additional two minutes if they have to change outfits, something that happens frequently in warm weather.
As Norrie kept waiting for Tiafoe to come back onto the court, Lloyd remarked: 'This is absurd, I'm sorry, but this is absolutely absurd.'
The flow of the match has been lost. Take the French Open final, which lasted more than five hours without even a single trip to the restroom.
To put it another way, he wouldn’t have needed so much time if he had been leading.
Ex-British top seed Castle remarked: 'I'm uncertain about what actions the referee could take, but personally, I believe this situation is unjust towards his rival.'
He can’t be going to the bathroom, can he? He took a clean shirt and sneakers with him. Perhaps we should also set up an ironing board and washing machine out there. Honestly, this seems quite suspicious.
Norrie remained unfazed by the long hiatus, securing victory in the fourth and deciding set with a score of 7-5 to earn his place in the third round where he will face either Jiri Lehecka or Mattia Bellucci.
Following his maiden victory against a top-20 opponent at Wimbledon, the ex-British number one remarked: 'The atmosphere was incredible, and both of us delivered some very strong play.'
I simply kept my composure and focused on each point as it came. It felt great playing against Frances in such an important match. My serving was solid during that final game, and honestly, all of us did incredibly well there—thank you.
It feels incredibly special to play here. You tend to forget how amazing it is until you're back, and then you get those chills all over again. This venue has a unique atmosphere, and this event always brings something unforgettable.
I simply stepped forward and tried to smile as broadly as possible. After that, you're off into the fight. I felt genuinely pleased with how I performed today.
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