5 biggest controversies from Wimbledon 2025: Taylor Fritz & Ben Shelton shocked by curfew rules, Nick Kyrgios brings up winners Iga Swiatek & Jannik Sinner's drug bans

Wimbledon 2025 is now in the rearview mirror, with Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner being crowned as the champions in women's and men's singles respectively. The first few days of the tournament witnessed a bloodbath, with several top players, including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev, losing in the first round.

The tournament proceeded smoothly as the days went by, though there were a few controversial moments sprinkled in throughout the fortnight. Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton were left fuming at the absurdity of the curfew rules, while Nick Kyrgios brought up Swiatek and Sinner's drug bans.

Those weren't the only big incidents that ruffled a few feathers. Here's a look at the five biggest controversial moments from Wimbledon 2025:

---

#1. Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton among those on the receiving end of Wimbledon's curfew rules

As per Wimbledon's curfew rules, all play for the day must wrap up by 11:00 p.m. However, officials sometimes tend to halt the proceedings prior to the deadline, leaving players frustrated. Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton were among the two players caught in the crossfire of the curfew rules this year.

Fritz dropped the first two sets during his opening-round showdown against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. He fought back to level the proceeding by taking the next two sets. However, officials told them to stop playing around 10:20 p.m., leaving the American annoyed. It was possible for the match to finish by 11:00 p.m.

The organizers weren't solely to blame for Fritz's predicament. He later clarified that if Mpetshi Perricard wanted to, then the match would've continued. Both players needed to be in sync regarding the decision.

Shelton was one service hold away from victory against Rinky Hijikata in the second round when the match was brought to a standstill. He tried to convince the umpire to let him finish the match but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He needed less than two minutes to serve out the contest the next day. These incidents highlighted the need to give players a little leeway when it comes to adhering to the curfew.

---

#2. Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka's semifinal showdown marred by over the top grunting

Amanda Anisimova at Wimbledon 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Amanda Anisimova and Aryna Sabalenka's semifinal contest at Wimbledon was an intense affair right from the first point. However, their engrossing showdown was marred by a couple of incidents.

Sabalenka is known for her loud grunting but even by her standards, her decibel level was through the roof during the match. Her attempts at breaking the sound barrier were then matched by Anisimova, who started to grunt loudly from time to time, probably after being annoyed by her opponent.

During the closing stages of the match a lucky net cord helped Anisimova close out a service hold. Players normally raise their hands in apology for their stroke of good luck, a protocol that the American didn't follow this time. When the two were heading towards their respective benches, Sabalenka was seen mouthing, "Why didn't you say sorry?" in her rival's direction.

Despite a few ill-tempered moments, the two did greet each other warmly at the net after the match. Anisimova was also gracious towards Sabalenka in her post-match speech, indicating there was no bad blood between them.

---

#3. Nick Kyrgios digs up Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner's drug bans in wake of their Wimbledon triumph

Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner emerged victorious at this year's Wimbledon. Both of them also had a brief run-in with a doping issue last year. The Italian tested positive for the banned substance clostebol, for which he served a three-month suspension this year.

Swiatek was suspended for a month last year for accidentally ingesting the banned substance trimetazidine. Both were cleared of any wrongdoing by the concerned authorities. Nick Kyrgios, who had a lot to say when these incidents came to light, shared his thoughts with iPaper before they won their respective finals at SW19.

Kyrgios felt that it wasn't a "good look" for the sport to have two people who have served doping bans in the past to be in the Wimbledon final. He did acknowledge that they've been playing really well despite his apparent displeasure with the result.

"Do I think it’s a good look for the sport that [Iga] Swiatek [who served a one-month suspension for an inadvertent positive test last year] and Sinner are in the final at Wimbledon after serving a ban? I don’t think it’s a good look for the sport. And I think people could agree. But I’m not going to sit there and talk about that [on commentary] in the final. They’ve been playing some incredible tennis," Kyrgios said.

Kyrgios' latest opinion didn't go well with fans of both players, who labeled the former Wimbledon runner-up as "jealous" of Sinner's success. The Aussie missed yet another edition of Wimbledon due to an injury.

---

#4. Malfunctioning technology costs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova a game

Anastasia Pavlyuchennkova at Wimbledon 2025. (Photo: Getty)

This marked the first edition of Wimbledon without the line judges, who were replaced by the electronic line calling system. However, the downside of technology robbed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova a crucial point during her fourth-round match against Sonay Kartal. The Russian was fighting to hold serve at 4-4 in the first set when the incident took place.

One of Kartal's shots clearly flew past the baseline but wasn't called out by the line calling system. When the umpire looked into the matter, he stated the electronic system had malfunctioned, which forced the players to replay the point. Pavlyuchenkova was far from pleased and made her displeasure known.

"You just stole me the game," Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was heard lamenting on the on-court microphone.

Kartal used the opportunity to break Pavlyuchenkova's serve, though the latter eventually ended up winning the set as well as the match. She kept her cool despite the unfavorable circumstances, highlighting the downside of relying on technology.

---

#5. Yulia Putintseva left scared for her safety after a fan's suspicious antics

Yulia Putintseva's first-round match against Amanda Anisimova took an untoward turn. During the changeover at 3-0 in the first set, the Kazakh complained to the chair umpire about a "crazy" and "dangerous" fan in the stands. She refused to play until the fan was escorted out. She even felt that he could be armed.

"Can you take him out, I am not going to continue playing until he leaves. These people are dangerous, they are crazy," Putintseva complained. "Take him out, because maybe he has a knife," she said

The tournament organizers swiftly dealt with the matter and released the following statement:

"Following a complaint about the behaviour of a spectator at the match on court 15, the chair umpire informed security and the matter was dealt with," - statement from the officials.

Following the scare, Putintseva resumed playing and lost the match 6-0, 6-0. She beat Iga Swiatek en route to the fourth round at SW19 a year ago. The Pole won the title this time, beating Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the final.

Edited by Rohit