Slam champ calls for sanction against umpire Greg Allensworth after recent blunders

2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens suggests chair umpire Greg Allenworth should face some kind of sanction after being involved in two incidents this month.

Over the weekend, Allensworth was umpiring the Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper match at the Cincinnati when he appeared to miss a very clean double bounce by Draper. And to make it all worse, it happened when Auger-Aliassime was facing a match point – so instead the 10th game of the third set going to 40/40, Draper was awarded the point and automatically sealed a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win. 

Earlier this month, Allensworth was also in the chair when Denis Shapovalov took on Ben Shelton in Washington. With Shapovalov down three match points, Allensworth hit the Canadian with unsportsmanlike conduct and disqualified him from his quarterfinal match against Shelton. 

Because the match ended via a default, Shapovalov was set to lose $53k in tournament prize money and also 100 ranking points. However, Shapovalov was later able to retain his tournament prize money and ranking points after appealing to the ATP.

“Serious question: What consequences does the chair umpire face? This is 2 incidents in 2 tournaments for the same umpire. Does he go on probation? No year end bonus? Can’t work the next grand slam? Fine? I’m genuinely curious,” Stephens wondered.

Serious question: What consequences does the chair umpire face? This is 2 incidents in 2 tournaments for the same umpire.

Does he go on probation? No year end bonus? Can’t work the next grand slam? Fine?

I’m genuinely curious. https://t.co/4sdMyQXizR

— sloanestephens (@SloaneStephens) August 17, 2024

How Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov felt about Allensworth?

While pleading his case and explaining that the ball clearly hit Draper’s frame and touched the ground, Auger-Aliassime at one point told Allensworth: “Man, You’re going to get out now, and it’s going to be everywhere, and it’s going to look ridiculous. I’m serious. It’s going to be crazy. And I know it’s not his place to make that call. It’s match point for him, it’s the win for him. But it’s your place to make that call.”

Meanwhile, Shapovalov also didn’t back down when explaining how he felt about the call Allensworth made in his Washington match.

“I would like to thank you for standing by my side through these last few days. As you can imagine it’s been an extremely stressful time for me. I continue to feel shocked and disappointed over the decision to disqualify me from my match against Ben in Washington. It was not fair to me, him or anyone that was there to watch the match,” Shapovalov said in a message posted on his social media a couple of days after the incident.

It remains to be seen if the ATP will take any action against umpire Allensworth.