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

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 presided over some of the game’s most memorable showdowns in tennis’s grandest arenas.

From Sampras and Agassi to the unforgettable Federer-Nadal rivalries, Bernardes has been right there, courtside, keeping order. His storied journey came to a fitting close on the ATP Tour this week at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he officiated his final ATP Tour match in the title showdown.

Bernardes reminisced on his career to ATPTour.com in Turin.

"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 said.

In 1984, Bernardes began coaching and soon found his way into officiating as a line judge at a regional Billie Jean King Cup tie in Sao Paulo. Balancing coaching and officiating across South America, his breakthrough came in 1992 when he joined the ATP Tour as a chair umpire.

"I started with tournaments in South America, then got assigned to the United States. I remember an early event in San Jose in 1996," he said with a smile. "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."

Carlos Bernardes with ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi in Turin. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Out of the 29 players to reach No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Bernardes had the privilege of officiating 24 of them. From Mats Wilander to Jannik Sinner, he’s witnessed historic moments and built lasting relationships with the game’s biggest stars.

“I’ve done matches with Sampras, Agassi, Chang, Edberg, Wilander, 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 court. And the Sampras-Agassi matches were unforgettable.”

Bernardes recalls the ‘special’ era of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, and the thrill of umpiring Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, and Stan Wawrinka.

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

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

“Wimbledon is magic,” Bernardes said. “I started playing tennis because of Wimbledon. Getting to umpire on Centre Court — it’s incomparable. That 2011 final was truly special.”

Bernardes has seen first-hand how the sport has grown, evolved and changed, making him a fountain of knowledge in regard to the history of the game. The 60-year-old became a key part of the travelling roadshow that is the ATP Tour, journeying countless miles and spending years of his life in hotels.

“I love Melbourne — I can walk back to the hotel at 2 a.m! Tokyo was always ahead of the game," Bernardes said when speaking about his favourite cities. "Monte-Carlo is beautiful, especially when it’s not raining. And New York, where I umpired at my first Grand Slam, is always unforgettable.

“Barcelona too. It is a proper tennis event. If you want to see a tennis event, that is the one to go with. There may be two guys who are lower ranked, but it will be packed in the stands.”

Today, Bernardes leaves a sport transformed by technology. Electronic line calling is already widespread and will be mandatory on the Tour by 2025, with limited trials of video review underway. Though Bernardes embraced the high-stakes pressure of making line calls, he understands the shift.

“It’s different now with electronic calls — you don’t talk to players as much. There’s no need to overrule or explain calls. Now, I just listen to the music in the stadium. It’s becoming more mechanical, and we need to be cautious. I enjoyed the pressure of making the right call. Now, even if I think a ball is out, I sit back and let technology decide.”

Seated in the officiating room at Turin's Inalpi Arena, Bernardes reflects warmly on his memories. His eyes light up most, though, when he speaks of the people he’s met.

“I have so many stories, and I’m lucky. I’ve done over 8,000 matches — just 1 percent of that leaves plenty of memories,” Bernardes said. “But it’s the people I’ve met that stand out. We’re away from home for half our lives, so you embrace the people and the places. This year, fans and people came up to me — that’s been wonderful. It’s a great environment to be part of.”

Bernardes will finish his career next week at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga but received warm words from Jannik Sinner following the title match at the Nitto ATP Finals, which the Brazilian umpired.

"Carlos, it's been an amazing career," Sinner said. "I feel privileged to be part of your last ATP journey."

Jannik Sinner shakes hands with Carlos Bernardes. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

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