Kader Nouni
Nouni at the 2023 French Open
Born
Kader Nouni

(1976-02-23) 23 February 1976
Perpignan, France
OccupationTennis umpire
Years active2005–present
Spouse
Melanie Conesa
​
(m. 2010)​
Children2

Kader Nouni (born 23 February 1976) is a French tennis umpire. He works primarily for the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and has officiated six major finals. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) certified him as a gold badge umpire in 2007. Known for his baritone voice, Nouni is sometimes called the "Barry White of tennis".

Early life

Nouni was born to Algerian-French immigrants on 23 February 1976.[1][2] He grew up in the Haut Vernet quarter of Perpignan, in southern France.[3][4] Nouni and his elder brother, Miloud, were raised in public housing by a single mother; his father died when he was two.[4][5]

Basketball was an early interest, but Nouni and his brother additionally took up tennis after Frenchman Yannick Noah's victory at the 1983 French Open.[4] Costs associated with tennis (lessons, court rental, etc.) meant Nouni needed to work from a young age; by age nine, he would string rackets, sweep the court lines, and do other jobs at a local tennis club.[4][5] Local tournaments began to hire him to officiate adult matches from age 12.[5] Nouni recalled that despite his youth, early on he got positive feedback from players for his umpiring skills.[4] Nouni developed his trademark deep voice by his mid-teens; he recalled an incident when a girlfriend's father disbelieved over the phone that he was only sixteen.[5]

Career

Nouni at the 2022 Transylvania Open

As a 16-year-old, Nouni got his first major umpiring experience as a line judge at the 1992 French Open, after being recognized for good officiating at a junior tennis event that had been held the year prior at Roland Garros in Paris.[4][5] Before he dedicated himself to officiating, Nouni briefly studied sociology at the university level.[4]

Over time, Nouni worked his way as a chair umpire from qualifying competitions to the main draws of WTA and Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) events to Grand Slams.[6] He became a full-time umpire in 2005; in off-seasons past, Nouni sometimes supplemented his income with work in bars in Perpignan.[1][4] The ITF accredits umpires at different levels; Nouni earned his white badge (Level 2) in 1998, bronze badge (Level 3) in 2002, silver badge in 2004, and gold badge (highest level) in 2007.[4] He joined the WTA Tour exclusively in 2008, but still sometimes officiates men's matches at Grand Slams.[2][4]

Nouni has umpired five women's singles finals at the French Open: 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, and 2021. Outside of Roland Garros, the only other major final he has officiated was Wimbledon 2018.[5][4] His other high-profile matches on the WTA Tour include presiding over four season-ending WTA Finals finals.[4]

Nouni has been involved in several notable moments of controversy.[5] At the 2012 Australian Open, after Nouni overruled a line judge to award John Isner an ace and declined to allow a late Hawk-Eye challenge, David Nalbandian argued at length with Nouni and said postmatch that the umpire had mismanaged that moment.[5][7][8] At the 2015 French Open, Victoria Azarenka thought she had saved a set point after a miss by Serena Williams, but because a line judge made a late incorrect call on Azarenka's previous shot, Nouni had the players replay the point (instead of awarding it to Azarenka outright).[9] At the 2023 French Open, Nouni missed a double bounce on Holger Rune's side and then penalised Francisco Cerúndolo for stopping mid-court as a ball kid began to run on, also thinking the point was over.[10]

Recognition

Nouni's deep baritone voice, fashion sense, and personality have helped make him one of the most famous tennis umpires today.[2][5][6][11][12] The Guardian writes, "With his smoky tones, he's been praised for having the best voice in tennis".[11] Other sources describe his tone as "honeyed", "resonant and melodic", "seductive", and "soothing", and note his thick French accent.[5][6][12][13] Nouni's pronunciation of "deuce" is especially striking to some fans.[6][13] John McEnroe once joked, "[Nouni]'s got the great voice, I'll give him that ... He's an argument for smoking cigarettes if you're an umpire".[6] Nouni used to worry that his voice could distract from his job, noting "We always say that a good official is someone that we don't talk about", but has since learned to appreciate the fan interest.[5][6] Because of his deep voice, he is sometimes referred to as the "Barry White of tennis".[5][6][12][13]

Personal life

Nouni met his wife, Melanie Conesa, in 2010. They have two children.[4] As of 2018, when Nouni is not traveling, he lives with his family in Perpignan.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gomes, Alaric (22 February 2018). "Birthday boy Nouni holds court". Gulf News. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Guillou, Damien (27 October 2014). "Kader Nouni: arbitrage chic" [Kader Nouni: Elegant umpiring]. leshardis.com (in French). Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  3. ↑ Dubuis, Eric (13 June 2013). "Nouni: 20 années de 'Roland'" [Nouni: 20 years of 'Roland']. L'Indépendant (in French). Archived from the original on 11 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Chiesa, Victoria (19 July 2020). "Interview with an umpire: Kader Nouni turns youth hobby into career". wtatennis.com. Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Jiménez, Jesus (8 September 2022). "The Tennis Umpire With the Velvet Voice Makes His Call". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Tennis: The Barry White of tennis holds court with voice". The New Zealand Herald. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  7. ↑ Ransom, Ian (18 January 2012). "Angry Nalbandian blasts referee after Isner loss". Reuters. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  8. ↑ Rothenberg, Ben (20 January 2012). "Nalbandian Is Fined Following Overrule Controversy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Clarey, Christopher (30 May 2015). "Sparks and Words Fly as Serena Williams Upends a Rival". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  10. ↑ Quarrell, Dan (5 June 2023). "French Open: Holger Rune in Double-Bounce Controversy – 'The Umpire Has Made a Huge Mistake'". Eurosport. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  11. 1 2 Elan, Priya (7 July 2016). "Game, set and match – Wimbledon's most stylish man". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Sabur, Rozina; Sawer, Patrick (13 July 2017). "'Barry White of tennis': Umpire with soothing voice melts hearts at Wimbledon". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 Galvin, Nick (25 January 2016). "Australian Open 2016: Umpire Kader Nouni the 'Barry White of Tennis'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
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