The ATP Finals are reaching their climax, with Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner ready to lock horns in a thrilling showdown. Fans can feel the buzz as the season inches closer to its grand finale. But this year’s conclusion in Turin holds a deeper sentiment—it marks the farewell of a tennis legend, not with a racket, but with a microphone. Carlos Bernardes, the iconic chair umpire who has been the steady voice of reason in countless matches, is bidding adieu to the sport he’s dedicated so much of his life to. But who exactly is Carlos Bernardes and what are the controversies surrounding Rafael Nadal?

Bernardes found his passion for tennis at the tender age of 12 and started becoming serious about the sport. Recalling his childhood in an interview, he said, “When I was 13, my friends and I used to jump the fence of a club when it was closed to play tennis. We had racquets with which we played in the street, but we found that place and went there. One day the club manager was waiting for us and encouraged us to sign up.” While this marked the beginning of Bernardes’ career on the courts, it did not last long at least as a player. Unfortunately, things took an unexpected turn for him when young Carlos lost his father, which put his passion for the sport at stake.

But destiny seemed to be in Bernardes’ favor who was given an interesting role on the courts although it was not related to picking up racquets. His first stint as an umpire came in 1984 when he was just 18 years old due to the need of the Sao Paulo Pinheiros Sports Club to find line judges for a regional tournament. And since then he never looked back. While his own tennis career came to an end, he continued to remain on the courts and shared a close bond with it. 

For the unversed, Bernardes is among the top few people who have earned a gold badge, in the same line of work. He also became the first South American umpire to officiate in a Grand Slam in the French Open in 2006. It is probably for this love for the sports that Bernardes’ found it extremely difficult to make a call about the end of his coaching career at the beginning of the year.

“I had been thinking for the last few years about retiring until I decided that this was my last year. I don’t come from a wealthy family… and after all this time, realizing I’ve visited over 100 countries and met people from ordinary folks to presidents, it doesn’t seem real,” he said per Punto de Break. But besides his 40 years of service to the sport and the remarkable respect he has garnered, Bernardes is also known for some controversial moments involving Rafael Nadal. 

Nadal has lost his composure on the courts only a couple of times and interestingly, some of these moments came when Bernardes was the chair umpire. One such infamous moment came at the 2010 ATP Finals when Bernardes’ call of the ball ‘out’ during Nadal’s match against Tomas Berdych infuriated the Spaniard. “You’re telling me something outrageous, Carlos!” an angry Nadal was heard making these statements. But this was not the only isolated controversy. 

In a surprising moment during the Rio Open in 2015, Nadal suffered a shocking defeat against Fabio Fognini, which ended his 52-match winning streak. In the match, the 38-year-old asked Bernardes if he could change his sweat-soaked shorts off the court after realizing he had mistakenly put his shorts backward. However, his request was declined by the chair umpire. Speaking about the same, Nadal had later said, “I can’t understand when I was wrong, I make a mistake, I put my shorts the other way. You cannot force me to change my shorts in front of everybody, you know. For me, that’s not respectful.” But now, both icons have come over such scenarios, and interestingly, are bidding adieu to the courts the same year. And despite the controversies that Carlos Bernardes has faced, he has continued to receive immense love from the community. 

When Carlos Bernardes received an emotional tribute at the Barcelona Open

Despite being in controversies, Carlos Bernardes is one of the most respected umpires on the courts. A key figure in major tournaments like the Grand Slams, Bernardes has not just spectated the sport closely but also shared an impeccable bond with it. And as he decided to sing his swan this year, he received some warm tribute from the tennis community with one such moment emerging at the Barcelona Open.

As soon as he entered the arena for the final time in the tournament in April this year, it was all emotional as he was congratulated and hugged by none other than David Ferrer. Subsequently, he kissed and hugged his wife as well. His emotions were evident even during he shared his experiences as tears kept rolling down his cheeks in front of his home crowd.

For now, it would be interesting to see if more such moments emerge after the match between Sinner and Fritz at the ATP Finals and if Carlos Bernardes will receive a similar farewell.