Chair umpire Carlos Bernardes had the best seat in the house for over thirty years. The Brazilian, one of the most renowned referees in tennis, has officiated some of the most memorable matches in the biggest tennis venues.
Bernardes has maintained order at the courtside throughout the legendary Federer-Nadal rivalries as well as Sampras and Agassi. At the Nitto ATP Finals this week, he officiated his final ATP Tour match in the championship match, bringing his illustrious journey to a fitting end.
He talked about his career and said: “My first contact with tennis was as a kid in Brazil. We used to jump the fence to play at the local club until we finally registered there. Since then, I’ve been part of the game, and I feel so fortunate to have had these experiences.”
Bernardes started coaching in 1984 and quickly made his way into line judging at a regional Billie Jean King Cup match in Sao Paulo. His breakthrough came in 1992 when he joined the ATP Tour as a chair umpire, juggling coaching and officiating throughout South America.
He added: “I started with tournaments in South America, then got assigned to the United States. I remember an early event in San Jose in 1996. That tournament featured Sampras, Agassi, and Chang. Sampras was No. 1. It was incredible—to go from playing tennis on Brazilian streets to umpiring Sampras and Agassi. I’ve done matches with Sampras, Agassi, Chang, Edberg, Wilander, and Becker. It was great to see Boris Becker here in Turin this week. He came up to talk to me, which was nice. Becker had such charisma on the court. And the Sampras-Agassi matches were unforgettable.”
