Wimbledon 2021 | Marija Cicak to become first female chair umpire in men's final
There will be a female chair umpire for the Wimbledon men’s singles final for the first time in the history of a tournament first played in 1877.
Marija Cicak, a 43-year-old from Croatia, will officiate Sunday when Novak Djokovic faces Matteo Berrettini for the championship at the All England Club.
The club announced Cicak’s selection on Saturday.
She is a gold badge chair umpire and a member of the WTA Elite Team since 2012.
Cicak was the chair umpire for the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final and the women’s doubles final three years later. She also officiated the women’s singles gold medal match at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Meanwhile, Djokovic entered his seventh Wimbledon final yesterday when he defeated Canada's Denis Shapovalov in straight sets
Djokovic made just 15 unforced errors, Shapovalov 36. The other key stats: Djokovic saved 5 of 5 break points in the second set, then 3 of 3 in the third.
“What hurt so much this time was just that I felt like the game is there and it’s possible to go and play for the trophy,” said Shapovalov, who walked off in tears after falling to 0-7 against Djokovic.
“It’s a feeling I’ve never had before, so that’s why it just hurt so much. I felt like I was outplaying Novak in parts of the match. If you’re outplaying Novak, you can beat anyone.”
