Kader Nouni

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".

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

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

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 Cerundolo 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. Gomes, Alaric (22 February 2018). "Birthday boy Nouni holds court". Gulf News. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  2. 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. 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. Jiménez, Jesus (8 September 2022). "The Tennis Umpire With the Velvet Voice Makes His Call". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  6. "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. Elan, Priya (7 July 2016). "Game, set and match – Wimbledon's most stylish man". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  12. 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. 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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