Enric Molina is a familiar name for many tennis fans. Having presided over many Grand Slam finals as a Gold Badge Chair Umpire, the Barcelona native – also a Gold Badge Referee – also now serves as Head of Officiating at the International Tennis Federation. We caught up with him recently to find out more about these roles, and life on tour as a chair umpire…
Tennis fans recognise you as one of the world’s leading umpires, but your role with the ITF Officiating Department is less well known. What does this entail?
Our department is responsible for a number of tasks, such as the administration of the joint certification program on behalf of the ATP, WTA and Grand Slams. Another big area for us is the running of the Level 1-3 officiating school courses. Our objectives are to improve the numbers and standards of officials worldwide through the education program, helping the game to grow. We focus on the development of officials at a grass roots level, but also administer the top events, making the selection of officials for Davis and Fed Cup and the Olympics. A lot of my job involves liaising with the different ITF departments, each of whom has its own officiating needs, and also to ensure that they are informed about the latest rules and so on.
Your department is working on online officiating courses at the moment. Who are these intended to be for?
The first stage will be for current officials, of which there are currently around 1,400 certified by the ITF. We will also invite national officials who are working with national associations and are interested in learning, with the hope that they will eventually become ITF-certified.
How important do you think it is for the levels of officiating to be standardised, from the Tennis Europe Junior Tour through to professional events?
It’s very important, at least to have a logical pathway. Obviously you cannot expect the lower level tournaments to have the best officials, for financial reasons. But we are raising the standards and this reaches all the way to the Tennis Europe 12s and 14s, which now have white badge referees who receive specific training. At our Level 2 schools we have a dedicated referee’s module, with an extra day of classroom time to look at regulations for non-professional events.
How did you get started as an official? Did you always want to be a chair umpire?
No! I was a pretty decent junior player, one of the best Under 12s in Spain. I played a lot of national events - there were no Tennis Europe Under 12 tournaments in Spain at that time. I was pretty certain I wanted to become a pro player, but it became clear that I wasn’t good enough. Later I focused on my studies and began working, but in my spare time I started to get into officiating; first as a line judge at the Godó [Barcelona’s ATP Tour event] when I was 14. There was a program for line judges in the run-up to the Olympics, so I decided to give it a go and that was how it all started. It was never a dream to become an official, but I’m thankful that there was a way of staying around once I realised I was not going to become a player.
Is this a common route for officials? Is there a concerted effort made to reach out to former players?
It’s a message that we try to send out to the national associations, who do the work at a grassroots level. But yes, it is fairly normal; I only know of one top umpire that I’ve met during my career that has no previous tennis background as a player. This experience gives you a lot of the skills that are required from a top umpire; understanding the game, putting yourself in the shoes of the player, applying the psychology that they are going through during the match, knowing how and when to talk to them…this empathy is invaluable and it’s very difficult to learn that if you haven’t played, at some level.
What are the keys to becoming a good umpire?
Well, experience is a big factor. I remember my first match in the chair was a nightmare and I wanted to quit! There are always some challenges, and if you are not sure of the rules you are immediately threatened. And if you don’t know how to communicate it’s even worse. It can be a very uncomfortable place to be - in that chair, being shouted at or booed. So experience, communication and good concentration skills are big factors.
How do you manage to remain focused for such long periods?
Well everybody has their own routine to get in the zone and to stay concentrated. It’s quite a personal thing. We stress the importance of preparing well, just like a player would. You don’t see Roger or Rafa going on court without being prepared, and for us it should be the same. A lot of the authority that an umpire has depends on their credibility. If you are not concentrating, it can quickly become apparent to the players, and your job will end up being even harder. Equally, with Hawk-Eye and replays, sometimes you will know you have made a mistake – and so will everybody else - and it feels pretty bad. But you can’t dwell on it because your concentration will be ruined. We have a leitmotif in officiating that the most important call is always the next call. Learning to live with mistakes is important.
Do you get nervous before matches? You must be conscious that you’re going to be on television in front of tens of millions of people, many of them debating your decisions…
Absolutely! If I didn’t feel the nerves, then I would start to worry. That’s not a good sign. You feel the pressure and the adrenaline – you get used to it, but it’s also a driving force. If I am nervous, I use the warm-up to focus on seeing the ball and get used to the conditions on the court. Focusing on one thing at a time helps you not to be overwhelmed by the occasion.
You recently presided over your fourth Davis Cup final. How was it?
In Davis & Fed Cup we [together with Pascal Maria, the other chair umpire, and Stefan Fransson, the referee] work very much as a team, particularly with regards to the crowd, which is the biggest challenge. The home Serbians were very loud, as you would expect in a Davis Cup final. In one way we were fortunate, because none of the matches ended up being particularly close, and so the role of the crowd was reduced a little bit. So from an officiating point of view there were no issues.
Do you like the challenge of controlling a partisan crowd?
Sure, it’s part of the game and it’s one of the reasons why we all love the Davis Cup.
What has been the most difficult situation that you have had to deal with on court?
Exactly that – dealing with the crowd in Davis Cup. I remember my first tie in Serbia in 2007, it was close to unmanageable. Tennis knowledge has come on in leaps and bounds there, but back then the unwritten rules – things like respect for the opponent, no noise between serves, etc. were simply not observed. It was more like a basketball match with everyone going crazy throughout the whole match. It was tough.
Have you ever had abuse from tennis fans after a match?
Yes, again it’s more likely to happen at the Davis Cup. You just have to try to ignore it. When it happens during the match you have some tools - you can eject somebody if they go too far. But it’s just another part of the game.
On the flip side, the top officials must have some fans. Do you get recognised often?
Yes of course, the hard core tennis fans recognise you and you get asked often for autographs and photos. It’s very nice. It’s not something that we’re looking for, but it’s a pleasure.
Lately there seems to be a degree of ‘celebrification’ of umpires, some of whom appear to be injecting a little bit more of their personality into their role. Sometimes you are encouraged to interact with the cameras before televised matches and so on. Is this a conscious move by governing bodies, or does it reflect a new generation of media-savvy officials?
I hate to agree with you there, but I think you’re right that there are some umpires that seek attention more than others. Personally I don’t agree with that. We know that we will be in the spotlight and that people will be dissecting our decisions and so on, so I don’t think that there is a need to attract any further attention. For me, the perfect match is one where there is no controversy. The less I appear on the screen, the better I’m doing my job. So yes, maybe there is a trend as you suggest, but it’s not a result of some policy.
Is there a danger that technology one day makes your job obsolete? The net-cord monitor has gone. Hawk-Eye can make your calls for you…
I think that all of the stakeholders in tennis - the tournaments, players, federations - they all recognise that there is a need for the human element. We should see technology as an aid to improve officiating, but it’s not a replacement. If tennis lost he human element it would become boring.
Is it possible for players and officials to be friends?
Yes, but you have to apply common sense. We travel together; we meet them on the planes. We stay at the same hotels. Can we be friendly with them? Yes, but one has to be professional and to know where to draw a line. Being overfriendly will not earn you the respect of the players. We put a lot of emphasis on this in the code of conduct for officials, but the best rule is to apply common sense.
What would be your favourite match that you have ever umpired?
I have a few, for different reasons. Of course, you always remember your first Grand Slam final or Davis Cup final. But if I had to pick one for the quality of play, it would probably be the Federer-Safin Australian Open final in 2005, which was phenomenal. I was conscious that I was witnessing something really exceptional. For emotional reasons, I’ll always remember Agassi’s last match at the US Open, when he retired. Growing up he was one of my idols, so I was fortunate to share the court with him as an umpire on many occasions in big matches, and I knew that that match was something special. After he lost he gave a very emotional speech and everyone around the court had tears in their eyes, even me!