Lehecka had taken the first set 6-2, but Tsitsipas was up 2-1 in the second with the game tied at 30-30 when the controversy blew up. Tsitsipas’ shot bounced on Lehecka’s side and spun back over the net, so Lehecka reached across and put it away. Fans quickly screamed cheating because his racket crossed the net. But was it actually illegal?

No. Once the ball bounced on Lehecka’s side and spun back over the net, he was allowed to reach across and hit it, as long as he did not touch the net and Navratilova quickly stepped in to defend Lehecka, telling critics to watch the full point before calling the play illegal.

“It was allowed because it’s legal,” “Are you a coach?” and “It did bounce on the other side of the net. Watch the whole point,” were some of the comments Navratilova made on X as she urged people to watch the full sequence before judging the play. She also wrote, “Wrong, the ball after the bounce can be hit on the other side of the net. Learn the rules,” “It wasn’t cheating!!!” and “Hey loser, this play by Lehecka was legal. All the way. Try again.”

So what are the rules exactly?

Well, under ITF Rule 25(b), if the ball first lands in the correct court and then spins back over the net, the player is allowed to reach across and hit it back. Rule 24 sets the limits. The player loses the point if they touch the net, net posts, or the opponent’s court while the ball is live, or if they hit the ball before it has passed the net. So reaching over the net itself is not illegal.

What matters is whether the ball bounced on your side first and whether you avoided touching the net or the opponent’s court. The confusion started when the US Open shared a shortened version of the point showing only Lehecka’s finish, which made it look like he had simply reached across the net.

At the 2014 Miami Open, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were involved in a similar net controversy. With Murray serving at 5-6 in the first set, Djokovic rushed forward and appeared to strike the ball on Murray’s side of the net, which was illegal because the ball had not yet crossed the plane of the net. Murray protested, but the chair umpire let the point stand. Djokovic later admitted his racket had crossed the net and said he had mistakenly believed that was allowed as long as he did not touch the net.

As for the match between Lehecka and Tsitsipas, the controversial point was a turning point in the match as the Greek turned the match around to secure his best result at the US Open.

Stefanos Tsitsipas Completes Comeback to Reach US Open Fourth Round for the First Time

Despite being a two-time Grand Slam runner-up, Stefanos Tsitsipas had been struggling badly, even having to go through qualifying at the Canadian Open a few weeks earlier.

Expectations were low in New York, especially since the Greek had never made it past the third round of the US Open, even at his peak.

Tsitsipas had already sent warning signs to the rest of the field by beating Cincinnati Open champion Arthur Fils in the first round and Lloyd Harris in the second.

Tsitsipas raised his level in the second set, breaking the Czech player’s serve twice to win it 6-1. The match was in the balance throughout the third set as both players held their serves before the Greek finished it off in the tiebreak, winning 7-3. He snuffed out any chances of a recovery for his Czech opponent, as he got an early break in the fourth set, and eventually won it 6-1.

Reaching the second week at Flushing Meadows for the first time, Tsitsipas will not have too much time to enjoy his wins as he is all set to face home favorite Ben Shelton in the next round on Sunday.