A tennis umpire who once provoked a furious 10-minute shouting match which led to a player raging ‘I have never seen an umpire as bad as you’ is today overseeing Wimbledon’s women’s final.
Miriam Bley has sparked controversy for a series of gaffes and questionable decisions, which have outraged players across the globe.
She will be taking to Centre Court to oversee the clash between Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova from 4pm.
Each player is in their first final at SW19, though Swiatek is already a five-time grand-slam champion.
And for Bley, the match is arguably her biggest too. It’s her first first ever Wimbledon and grand slam singles final, having only chaired the ladies’ doubles final at Roland Garros.
But the German, who previously shielded Emma Raducanu from her stalker at the Dubai Open in an incident which left the British No1 in tears, has previously come under fire.
She missed a ball falling out of Dan Evans’ pocket at the 2023 Australian Open, sparking a 10-minute shouting match with his opponent, who accused Bley of ‘watching the birds’ and saying ‘I have never seen an umpire as bad as you’.
Chardy, then aged 35, was enraged after Bley called ‘let’ during the first set in his second round match against England’s Evans, with the score locked at 3-3.
Miriam Bley has sparked controversy for a series of gaffes and questionable decisions, which have outraged players across the globe.
She once endured the wrath of Frenchman Jeremy Chardy after she missed a ball dropping out of Dan Evan’s pocket during their match
The German umpire came to the aid of British Number One Emma Raducanu in February when the 21-year-old spotted her stalker at her match during the Dubai Open (pictured)
Seconds earlier during a rally, a ball in Chardy’s pocket fell out on court, and the animated Frenchman then hit his ensuing forehand into the net.
Chardy was fuming when the point was awarded to Evans – who was 25th seed – despite Bley’s late let call.
The fuming tennis veteran felt the point should have been replayed, sparking the 10-minute row.
‘I’ve never seen that in my life. I’ve played for 20 years and I’ve never had an umpire bad like you. Not one. You don’t see a ball,’ the fired up Frenchman said.
‘I hit there a forehand, I go over there so it’s like five seconds and you don’t even see.
‘Where are you looking? Are you looking at the birds? Are you looking somewhere in the crowd?
‘That is the biggest mistake of the Australian Open already.’
Bungling Bley also aided in ruining the tournament hopes of Anna Kalinskaya at the US Open after a bizarre call.
Bungling Bley also aided in ruining the tournament hopes of Anna Kalinskaya at the US Open after a bizarre call
Kalinskaya tumbled out of the third round to Brazil’s Haddad Maia after Bley called a clear double bounce as a fair point.
While leading 2-0 in the first set, she became a victim of the incredulous umpiring decision.
The incident took place when Maia was returning one of Kalinskaya’s shots, which the latter believed was a double bounce.
The umpire ruled it in favor of the Brazilian and awarded her the point when it happened. However, the Russian was certain it was a double bounce and demanded a video review to overturn the decision.
But things turned heated between Kalinskaya and Bley when the German umpire refused to change her decision and maintained the stance that Maia had hit the ball before it bounced off the ground for the second time.
And earlier this year, Bley hit the headlines again after a bust-up with world number one Aryna Sablenka.
The 26-year-old Belarusian was in a fierce battle against Elise Merten during the quarter-final at the Stuttgart Open when she took lashed out a call by the German umpire.
And earlier this year, Bley hit the headlines again after a bust-up with world number one Aryna Sablenka (pictured) who demanded a phone to take a picture of where a ball hit after it was called out
Alize Cornet of France argues with chair umpire Miriam Bley during her Women’s Singles second round match against Donna Vekic of Croatia at the 2020 Australian Open
Bley called Sablenka’s shot out while she the world number one was a break point down against her opponent – leading to outrage on the court.
Sablenka was so outraged at the decision she demanded a mobile phone so she could take a photo of the alleged marking where her ball struck the ground.
Despite her protests, Bley refused to reverse her decision. Sablenka eventually won the quarter-final.
But Bley and Sablenka went on to have an icy ‘firm’ handshake at the end, which left the Belarusian tennis ace to later comment: ‘When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before.’
Asked if she had squeezed Bley’s hand back, Sablenka said: ‘No, it’s okay. Why would I play this game with someone like her? It’s okay.’
She has also been pictured during a fiery encounter with Mirra Andreeva after issuing the Russian a warning for hitting a ball in to the crowd during her Women’s Singles Quarter Final match against Lois Boisson of France on Day Eleven of the 2025.
Chair umpire Miriam Bley issues a warning to Mirra Andreeva after she hit a ball in to the crowd during her Women’s Singles Quarter Final match against Lois Boisson of France on Day Eleven of the 2025
Bley has been a Gold Badge Chair Umpire since 2019 and a member of the WTA Team since 2021. This is her 12th Wimbledon but her first overseeing a final.
In February she stepped in to aid British ace Raducanu after she spotted her stalker at her match at the Dubai Open.
Bley shielded the visibly distressed 21-year-old behind her umpire seat as she wept before going on to comfort the young Briton.
The German umpire then communicated with tournament organisers off court via her walkie-talkie, demanding them to remove the man before play resumed.
The WTA confirmed a man had previously approached Raducanu at her first-round match against Maria Sakkari, adding in a statement that the governing body were working with the player to ensure her safety.
The man has been banned from WTA events.
However, Bley has also come to verbal blows with Raducanu over the umpires previous calls.
The pair were seen arguing about a line call while the Briton was playing against Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart in April 2024.
Bley was forced to come down from her umpire chair to point to the area where she believed the ball had struck on the clay surface.
former US Open champion Radacanu was seen to disagree during the match, pointing elsewhere on the court
Bley was forced to come down from her umpire chair to point to the area where she believed the ball had struck on the clay surface.
But former US Open champion Radacanu was seen to disagree during the match, pointing elsewhere on the court.
It led to a verbal telling off and stern finger wag from Bley.
The winner of today’s final will take home a grand prize of £3million.
The runner-up will net themselves £1.52million.
Today’s final begins at 4pm. The men’s final is tomorrow afternoon.
