ATP Chair Umpire Mohamed Lahyani Beats the Blackout at Madrid Open

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 9:29 AM ET

Chaos ensued at the Madrid Open when a massive nationwide power outage in Spain halted all matches relying on electronic line-calling and digital scoreboards. Matches across the grounds were suspended, as the technology-driven officiating systems went completely dark.

However, one match found a way forward thanks to the quick thinking and adaptability of legendary chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani. During the match between Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi and Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur, Lahyani took full control — manually calling lines and keeping the score on his own, ensuring that play could continue despite the technical chaos.

Arnaldi closed the match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Yet, due to the power failure, the result was not officially recognized on the ATP website for the time being. Typically, match results are entered directly through the chair umpire’s tablet, which was rendered useless during the outage.

ARNALDI VOLA AGLI OTTAVI ✈️

L’azzurro supera Damir Dzumhur in due set e conquista un posto negli ottavi di finale del Masters 1000 di Madrid #Tennis #MMOpen #Arnaldi pic.twitter.com/dK6y8Ugynb
— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) April 28, 2025

Despite the extraordinary circumstances, Lahyani's old-school officiating kept the spirit of the tournament alive. His heroics offered a reminder of a time before tennis became so reliant on technology — and earned him plenty of praise from players and fans alike. The question one might ask, however, is whether this is allowed in the rulebook? And the answer is yes.

Not the chair but supervisor. There are several options if Live ELC is out of operation. Continuing the match with chair umpire calling all the lines is one of them. https://t.co/aJjilPdKTR pic.twitter.com/CYLrntrl87
— Oleg S. (@AnnaK_4ever) April 28, 2025

Fans all around the world were left confused after a few platforms showed that the match had been suspended, while others showed that the match had completed. Multiple tennis fans looked for confirmation on social media, and finally, it looked like ATP acknowledged the completion of the match.

Anyone in Madrid able to confirm as to whether or not Arnaldi has won this match? As I'm sitting here looking at f*cking people telling me he's won on social media.

I'm seeing reports that he's won, but then the scoreboard is telling me it's 6-3, &3-2 with the break, Deuce.
— Mon€y On Tenni$ (@Money_On_Tennis) April 28, 2025

Confirmed by ATP that Matteo Arnaldi won his match against Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-4

Also Harrison / King won 6-4, 7-6 vs Ebden / Peers. https://t.co/TWXSjpl0uS pic.twitter.com/7ipGDyvlHf
— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) April 28, 2025

This unusual day at the Madrid Open will be remembered not just for the blackout, but also for Lahyani’s quick thinking.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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