Elena Rybakina’s blockbuster clash with Zheng Qinwen at the 2026 Madrid Open was marred by a heated dispute over a controversial call. The Kazakh was left infuriated by a decision that went in Zheng’s favor, as she confronted chair umpire Julie Kjendlie over the electronic line-calling system’s ruling.
Elena Rybakina Argues With Madrid Open Umpire Over Electronic Line Call
After losing the opening set to Zheng Qinwen in their third-round clash at the WTA 1000 event, Elena Rybakina voiced her frustration during a contentious moment in the second set, when the electronic line-calling system deemed Zheng’s serve to be in. The world No. 2 quickly pointed out the mark on the court to the chair umpire, arguing that the call was incorrect.
Kjendlie, however, declined to go down and examine the mark closely, saying, “I can’t go down. How it looks there and how it is, usually looks different. That is the mark but I cannot go down. What I see from here is that it is very close. What I see over there, it is just touching [the line].”
Rybakina was livid about the umpire’s remarks, arguing that the mark was well out and openly criticizing the accuracy of the electronic system.
“Are you kidding me? It’s like that. This is not a joke. The system is wrong. This is not a joke. There is no such mark which is shown on the TV. It is absolutely wrong,” she said.
Kjendlie made it clear that she had to adhere to the electronic line-calling system’s ruling, saying, “That’s what I have to go with. Now that we have live ELC, that’s what I have to go with.”
Elena Rybakina in a disagreement with the umpire in her match against Qinwen Zheng in Madrid.
Qinwen hit a serve that was called in by electronic line calling.
Elena shows the umpire the mark, which is out.
Elena: “Are you kidding me? This is not a joke. The system is wrong.… pic.twitter.com/kIOfxGB19s
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 26, 2026
Despite her visible frustration, Rybakina did not allow the controversy to derail her concentration. She mounted an impressive comeback to claim a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory and advance to the fourth round of the Madrid Open.
MORE: Elena Rybakina Dismisses Aryna Sabalenka Points Race: ‘You Just Need To Do Your Job’
What Elena Rybakina Said After Beating Zheng Qinwen at the Madrid Open
In her on-court interview, Rybakina praised Zheng as a formidable opponent and said it felt as though everything was going her way, with several “crazy” shots finding their mark. Nevertheless, the Kazakh expressed satisfaction with her fighting spirit and ability to capitalize on crucial opportunities in a candid assessment of her performance.
“Qinwen is a tough opponent. She was really serving well. She was returning all my serves. I don’t think the serve was an issue today. I could’ve had better placement, the first game with the double fault definitely didn’t help. But I think everything was going kind of her way. Some crazy shots from difficult position, down the line winners. So, I’m just happy I took my opportunity in the second set. I was fighting trying to stay close to the score. Somehow again a three set match but I’m happy,” she said.
Up next, the world No. 2 will lock horns with Anastasia Potapova in the fourth round of the WTA 1000 event. If she beats Potapova, Rybakina will face the winner of the match between Karolína Plíšková and Solana Sierra in the quarterfinals. Drawn in the same half as No. 3 seed Coco Gauff, she could then potentially meet the American in the semifinals.
