8,000 matches later, Carlos Bernardes says goodbye to tennis | ATP tour

Nitto ATP Finals

8,000 matches later, Carlos Bernardes says goodbye to tennis

Brazilian ends career of more than 30 years in Turin

November 17, 2024

For more than three decades, chair umpire Carlos Bernardes enjoyed the best seat in the house. One of the sport's most respected officials, the Brazilian has officiated some of the most memorable clashes in tennis' biggest arenas.

From Sampras and Agassi to the unforgettable rivalry between Federer and Nadal, Bernardes was there on the right to keep order. His legendary journey came to a fitting end this week on the ATP Tour at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he officiated his final ATP Tour match in the title match.

Bernardes reminisced about his career at ATPtour.com in Turin.

“My first contact with tennis was as a child in Brazil. We jumped the fence to play at the local club until we finally registered there. I have been part of the game ever since and I feel so lucky to have had these experiences ”, said Bernardes.

In 1984, Bernardes began coaching and soon found his way to serving as a line judge at a regional Billie Jean King Cup match in Sao Paulo. Balancing between coaching and managing throughout South America, his breakthrough came in 1992 when he joined the ATP Tour as a chair umpire.

“I started playing tournaments in South America and then was assigned to the United States. I remember an early event in San Jose in 1996,” he said with a smile. “At that tournament there were Sampras, Agassi and Chang. Sampras was No. 1. It was incredible – to go from playing tennis on the Brazilian streets to refereeing for Sampras and Agassi.”

_{^{Carlos Bernardes with ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi in Turin. Photo credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP tour}}
Of the 29 players who reached No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Bernardes had the privilege of leading 24. From Mats Wilander to Jannik Sinner, he has lived through historic moments and built lasting relationships with the game's biggest stars.

“I have competed with Sampras, Agassi, Chang, Edberg, Wilander, Becker. It was great to see Boris Becker here in Turin this week. He came over to talk to me, which was nice. Becker had such charisma on the field. And the Sampras-Agassi matches were unforgettable.”

Bernardes remembers the 'special' era of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and the tension of referee Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro and Stan Wawrinka.

“I think some of my longest matches were with Murray: four hours on the court, and he would still push through. I would see him later and ask, “How did you do it?” and he said, 'I can't walk now,' but he would be back on the field the next day and win. That respect from players means a lot.”

One of Bernardes' fondest memories is refereeing Rafael Nadal's first ATP Tour match in Mallorca in 2002, followed by Nadal's first meeting with Federer in Miami (2004). He also officiated the 2011 Wimbledon final, where Novak Djokovic defeated Nadal to claim the title and rise to No. 1.

“Wimbledon is magical,” Bernardes said. “I started playing tennis because of Wimbledon. Becoming a referee on Center Court: that is incomparable. That 2011 final was really special.”

Bernardes has seen firsthand how the sport has grown, evolved and changed, becoming a fountain of knowledge regarding the history of the game. The 60-year-old became a key part of the traveling roadshow that is the ATP Tour, logging countless miles and spending years of his life in hotels.

“I love Melbourne – I can walk back to the hotel at 2am! Tokyo has always been at the forefront,” said Bernardes when talking about his favorite cities. “Monte Carlo is beautiful, especially when it doesn't rain. And New York, where I refereed my first Grand Slam, is always unforgettable.

“Barcelona too. It's a real tennis event. If you want to see a tennis event, that's the way to go. There might be two guys ranked lower, but the stands will be packed.”

Today, Bernardes is leaving a sport transformed by technology. Electronic phone calls are already widespread and will be mandatory on the Tour in 2025, while limited testing of video reviews will take place. While Bernardes embraced the high stakes of making phone calls, he understands the shift.

“It's different now with electronic conversations; you don't talk to players that often. There is no need to ignore or explain calls. Now I just listen to the music in the stadium. It is becoming more and more mechanical and we have to be careful. I enjoyed the pressure to make the right decision. Even if I think the ball is out of bounds, I sit back and let the technology decide.”

Sitting in the hall of the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Bernardes reflects warmly on his memories. However, his eyes light up the most when he talks about the people he has met.

“I have so many stories and I am lucky. I have played more than 8,000 matches – only 1 percent of them leave many memories,” Bernardes said. “But it's the people I've met that stand out. We spend half our lives away from home, so embrace the people and the places. This year fans and people came to see me – that was great. It's a great environment to be a part of.”

Bernardes will end his career next week at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, but received warm words from Jannik Sinner after the title match at the Nitto ATP Finals, who was the Brazilian referee.

“Carlos, it's been a great career,” Sinner said. “I feel privileged to be part of your latest ATP journey.”

_{^{Jannik Sinner shakes hands with Carlos Bernardes. Photo credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP tour}}