When a player gets frustrated on court, it is often the racket that bears the brunt. While a racket smash typically results in a simple code violation, there is a very thin line between a warning and an immediate default, and it all comes down to crowd safety.
During the quarterfinals in Hamburg on Thursday, local favorite Daniel Altmaier, after suffering a late break of serve, didn’t just throw his racket onto the clay, but kicked it directly into the stands. His opponent, Tommy Paul, immediately approached the umpire’s chair to demand disqualification, but no action was taken other than a warning. This decision has upset many tennis experts and fans, who cannot believe Altmaier was allowed to keep playing.
Daniel Altmaier’s Antics in Hamburg Match vs. Tommy Paul Sparks Criticism From Experts
As videos of the kick spread on X, tennis reporters and analysts agreed on one thing: Altmaier was very lucky not to have been disqualified. More people were upset about the umpire’s call.
Careful, Daniel 😬#bitpandahamburgopen pic.twitter.com/I7DsnjZMI4
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 21, 2026
Former world No. 1 and analyst Rennae Stubbs couldn’t believe why it was not a disqualification: “Ahemmm! How is this not an immediate default!???????? Who was in the chair???”
Ahemmm! How is this not an immediate default!???????? Who was in the chair??? https://t.co/kbYxpoV4Ff
— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) May 21, 2026
There are many comparisons of this incident to high-profile defaults, such as Novak Djokovic hitting a line judge at the 2020 US Open or Denis Shapovalov striking an umpire at the 2017 Davis Cup. Any time a piece of equipment enters the stands, regardless of intent, it results in an automatic disqualification to protect spectators.
Award-winning tennis author and journalist Christopher Clarey had the same thought.”In my view, this should have been an immediate DQ,” Clarey wrote. Having covered the sport for over three decades, primarily for The New York Times, his stance highlights the disparity in how ATP rules are enforced based on an umpire’s real-time understanding.
In my view, this should have been an immediate DQ https://t.co/VwihU9YiQo
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) May 21, 2026
Tennis analyst Brenner Morton added that Paul pointed this out to the chair umpire, Fergus Murphy, but he still waved it off. “Wow. After getting broken for 4-5, Daniel Altmaier throws his racket, and while it was still spinning on the court, kicks it into the stands. A fan immediately tossed it back to him. Tommy Paul walked up to the chair, but Fergus Murphy waved it off. Very surprised Altmaier wasn’t defaulted,” Morton commented.
Wow. After getting broken for 4-5, Daniel Altmaier throws his racket, and while it was still spinning on the court, kicks it into the stands. A fan immediately tossed it back to him. Tommy Paul walked up to the chair, but Fergus Murphy waved it off. Very surprised Altmaier wasn’t…
— Brenner Morton (@simonsaystennis) May 21, 2026
Murphy, a 54-year-old “Gold Badge” umpire from Dublin, is one of the highest-ranked and most experienced officials in tennis, with over 30 years on the job. But his approach to the rules has caused friction with several top players over the years.
During the Japan Open final, Alcaraz yelled at Murphy for starting the shot clock too fast. The then-world No. 1 shouted, “You never played tennis in your life!” Taylor Fritz also agreed he had problems with Murphy’s fast timing in the past.
Stefanos Tsitsipas told Murphy he had “no clue about tennis” in Shanghai in 2024, while Nadal demanded to see a supervisor after Murphy refused to let him challenge a call in Madrid. Nick Kyrgios has a long history of arguing with Murphy. In 2019, he called the umpire a ‘potato with legs’ at the Citi Open, and weeks later at the Cincinnati Masters, he got a violation for timing issues and called him the ‘worst ref in the game.
While the internet argued about the rules, Paul still had to play the match. He played against the frustrated opponent and loud crowd, and still won the match 6-2, 7-5. With the win, Paul advanced to the semifinal against Alex de Minaur.
