He will continue in that position at the ATP Challenger in Cervia, Italy in May, where conditions are expected to be quite different.
“It will be at the beginning of the high season, with better weather and outdoor matches. I think we will have more spectators, as the days are longer and there are more hours of sunshine,” Bernardes noted.
One of the more surprising aspects of his new role has been dealing with players’ lack of awareness regarding tournament procedures.
“Some players don’t really know the rules, especially those coming from lower-level events. They don’t always read the fact sheet, like deadlines for hotel reservations. I had quite a few conversations about that,” he said.
Tennis family
While he no longer sits in the umpire’s chair, Bernardes admits that it is not the officiating he misses most. “Not the umpiring itself,” he said with a laugh, “but the people. I met some colleagues here that I haven’t seen in more than 10 years. That’s really nice.”
