"It became impossible to play": the Williams-Capriati match that forever changed tennis officiating

It all started with a winning backhand... but called out. In 2004, Serena Williams experienced one of the greatest injustices of her career. That day, tennis shifted into a new era: one of technology serving the truth.

© AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 10/12/2025 à 12h30

2 min to read

Capriati Jennifer Williams Serena

A Williams-Capriati clash decisive for the arrival of hawk-eye

The idea of integrating hawk-eye into professional tournaments seemed obvious in 2004. During the quarter-final of the US Open between Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati, the backhand of the former had turned into a winning shot. But the line judges did not see it the same way. It was one error among many that ended up costing the match to the player who has won 23 Grand Slam titles.

"The reason why hawk-eye became important is because they were calling all my balls out, even if they weren't close to the lines. It was consistently called out. It became impossible to play," Williams stated in August 2022.

And Christopher Clarey, American sports journalist and tennis author, confirmed for CNBC. "The duel between Williams and Capriati was fundamental. During this match, the US Open began testing a hawk-eye system visible on television. The general public thus had more information than the players themselves. There was a big difference between what people saw and what was actually happening on the court."

Preventing as many errors as possible thanks to ELC

The numerous decisions unfavorable to Serena Williams during this match inevitably raised concerns. Thanks to this match, the obligation to implement hawk-eye in stadiums for players' use seemed indispensable.

At the Miami tournament in 2006, American player Jamea Jackson was the first to request the possibility of reviewing where a ball bounced on the court. In the following months, the US Open (2006), the Australian Open, and Wimbledon (2007) began using hawk-eye.

Find the full investigation

Find the full investigation "Technology in tennis: the challenges of a new officiating, between tradition and dehumanized modernity," which will be available in its entirety the weekend of December 13 on TennisTemple.