Wimbledon's favourite umpire? Kader Nouni wows fans with silky voice (2024)

  • French umpire Kader Nouni impressed fans on Centre Court with his silky voice
  • Read more: Andy Murray will NOT play on Centre Court today as former champion takes 'very difficult' decision to withdraw from singles action

By Jo Tweedy For Mailonline

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You rarely catch glimpses of Kader Nouni; the French umpire remains low-key in his lofty chair - but his voice, carrying across and beyond Wimbledon's Centre Court, is once again having quite the impact at SW19.

Both silken and gravel-filled, veteran referee Nouni's dulcet tones have already won him a raft of new fans at this year's tournament - and it's only day two.

As the 48-year-old officiated on US player Coco Gauff's opening match against Caroline Dolehide in the first round of the women's draw, the Frenchman's calls were all anyone could talk about on social media.

'The umpire in the Dolehide - Gauff match has the best voice', gushed one.

Hear we go again...smooth-voiced tennis umpire Kader Nouni made his first appearance on Centre Court at this year's Wimbledon yesterday, and won over a whole new audience of fans

'Best voice ever', another fan, watching last night's highlights, suggested.

One tennis watcher called it like 'warm snuggles and honey, but in audio form'.

Those familiar with Nouni's work namechecked him in their posts.

One penned that his arrival on Centre Court was a sign the tournament had started in earnest, writing: 'Kader Nouni, a.k.a. The Barry White of Tennis Umpiring, is in the chair for Dolehide vs. Gauff. Wimbledon has truly begun.'

Pre-final ASMR with Kader Nouni 🧘 #IndianWells | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/EN69RZbfVe

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 17, 2024

Another wrote: 'Kader Nouni, the most recognised Baritone voice of tennis umpires, that makes the word Deuce sound like the heavy bass House track, you just gotta love him, such a cool dude!'

The low tones of smooth-voiced Nouni has frequently seen him compared with late US soul singer Barry White, albeit with a French accent.

Nouni grew up in Perpignan in southern France and began his umpire career at the age of 15 at his local tennis club.

The 48-year-old Frenchman has long been popular with spectators on the circuit thanks to his deep voice, with many dubbing him 'the Barry White of tennis', referencing the late American soul legend

His latest outing saw him officiate onCoco Gauff's victory against Caroline Dolehide on Monday

By the age of 16 he was a linesman in the French Open. Since 2005 he has been a professional referee in ATP and WTA tournaments and has won heaps of praise for his sultry tones in previous Wimbledon tournaments.

Nouni said he got into umpiring because he liked to play and watch tennis and felt it offered a professional career for him.

He's also had other voiceover work thanks to his vocal talents, including recording ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) clips that soothe people.

Nouni's first outing at this year's Wimbledon saw him overseeing the final match on Centre Court yesterday, Coco Gauff's victory againstCaroline Dolehide; the 20-year-old American, tipped to go far this year, beat her opponent in a6-1, 6-2 victory on Monday.

Elsewhere at the tournament, there was disappointment for fans hoping to see Andy Murray play for one final time in the Men's Singles tournament.

The two-time champion this morning took the 'very difficult' decision to withdraw from his first round.

A statement from the 37-year-old's team read: 'Unfortunately, despite working incredibly hard on his recovery since his operation just over a week ago, Andy has taken the very difficult decision not to play the singles this year.

Andy Murray leaves the All England Club today after pulling out of the singles at Wimbledon

'As you can imagine, he is extremely disappointed but has confirmed that he will be playing in the doubles with Jamie and looks forward to competing at Wimbledon for the last time.'

That means that Murray's five-set defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas on Centre Court in the second round last year will go down as his last singles match at the All England Club.

He was due to play Czech Tomas Machac, who will now face lucky loser David Goffin – the man Murray famously lobbed to win the Davis Cup.

Coco Gauff

Wimbledon's favourite umpire? Kader Nouni wows fans with silky voice (2024)

FAQs

Wimbledon's favourite umpire? Kader Nouni wows fans with silky voice? ›

Silken voiced Kader Nouni, dubbed the 'Barry White of tennis', is back at SW19 - and spectators can't resist his 'ASMR' tones, describing Frenchman's calls as sounding like 'honey and snuggles'

Who is the Wimbledon umpire with the deep voice? ›

Chair umpire Kader Nouni has one of the most distinctive voices in all of tennis.

Has Kader Nouni ever umpired at Wimbledon? ›

Nouni has umpired five women's singles finals at the French Open: in 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, and 2021. Outside of Roland Garros, the only other major final he has officiated was the 2018 Wimbledon Championships. His other high-profile matches on the WTA Tour include presiding over four season-ending WTA Finals finals.

Who is the US Open umpire? ›

In 2022, he was the assistant referee to Wayne McKewen, who will continue on the US Open's team of officials as a Grand Slam supervisor. Garner was also the US Open's chief umpire from 2019-21. Melanie Tabb and Andrew Walker will continue in their roles as assistant referee and chief umpire, respectively.

How to be a linesman at Wimbledon? ›

Anyone over the age of 16 can apply to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to become a line umpire. If your application is accepted, you'll attend a one-day training course, which combines a mixture of classroom learning and on-court action. You'll be assessed on the day, and if you pass, you can work as a line judge!

Which Wimbledon umpire sounds like Barry White? ›

Silken voiced Kader Nouni, dubbed the 'Barry White of tennis', is back at SW19 - and spectators can't resist his 'ASMR' tones, describing Frenchman's calls as sounding like 'honey and snuggles'

Who shouted you Cannot be serious at a tennis umpire at Wimbledon? ›

John McEnroe's explosive “You cannot be serious!” moment at Wimbledon in 1981 remains one of tennis' most iconic scenes. McEnroe, known for his brilliant tennis skills and explosive behavior on the court, was outraged by a call made by chair umpire Edward James.

What happened with Coco Gauff and umpire? ›

Coco Gauff loses an argument with a French Open chair umpire and wants to see replays in tennis. PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff was not thrilled about the chair umpire's ruling that went against her during a French Open semifinal loss to Iga Swiatek on Thursday — and made that quite clear to the official.

How much do chair umpires get paid in tennis? ›

Professional and International Level: The most experienced umpires who reach the level of National Chair Umpire or Professional Chair Umpire and officiate at high-profile tournaments such as the Grand Slams can earn significantly higher fees. At these elite levels, umpires can earn upwards of $1,000 per match.

Where do Wimbledon umpires come from? ›

Umpires. There are 330 umpires (chair umpires and line umpires) officiating at The Championships each year. Around 60 of these officials are from overseas and the remaining 270 umpires are members of the Association of British Tennis Officials (ABTO).

Why are so many Wimbledon line judges overweight? ›

The criteria for becoming a line judge at Wimbledon is not based on tennis ability. Instead, line judges are chosen based on their ability to make accurate calls, their knowledge of the rules, and their ability to remain calm under pressure. There is no requirement for line judges to be fit or athletic.

What is a female linesman called? ›

​a female official who helps the referee in some games that are played on a field or court, especially in deciding whether or where a ball crosses one of the lines. Lineswomen are now officially called referee's assistants in football (soccer).

What is a tennis umpire's cry? ›

The shortest crossword solution for Tennis umpire's cry is 3 letters long and is called LET.

Who was the voice of Wimbledon? ›

Known as the “Voice of Wimbledon” for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Dan Maskell was a celebrated figure in British tennis for more than six decades.

Who is the head umpire at Wimbledon? ›

- The Chief Umpire, Adrian Wilson, is responsible for the organisation of all on court officiating at The Championships.

Who is the announcer at Wimbledon? ›

Who are the BBC's commentators and presenters? The frontline BBC presenters for this year's Championship are as follows: Qasa Alom, Clare Balding and Isa Guha. Guha will lead the morning coverage from 11am with Balding taking over the afternoon coverage. Alom will host Today at Wimbledon each evening.

Who is Tim commentator at Wimbledon? ›

Wimbledon 2024 pundits

They'll be joined by the likes of Tim Henman, Tracy Austin, Annabel Croft, and Johanna Konta on their screens.

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