Greg Allensworth is going to have a pretty big job at the 2026 US Open. He will be sitting in the chair for the women’s singles final between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.
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“Greg Allensworth will be the chair umpire of women’s singles final @usopen,” Michal Samulski posted on X.
His appointment is interesting because, while Allensworth has plenty of experience at this level, he has also been at the center of some calls that left players and fans unhappy.
Who Is Greg Allensworth?
Allensworth is an American professional tennis chair umpire and one of just 33 Gold Badge Chair Umpires around the world. The Gold Badge is the highest level of certification under the Joint Certification Program involving the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slam tournaments.
His involvement in tennis officiating goes back to 2005. He has been an ATP Elite Team Chair Umpire since 2019 and was part of the ITF/Grand Slam Development Team from 2015 to 2019.
Allensworth has also worked at the 2023 US Open men’s singles final, the 2023 Cincinnati Masters final, and the 2024 Miami Masters final. He also officiated at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2019 US Open men’s doubles final and the 2017 US Open mixed doubles final.
Away from the chair, Allensworth has also been involved in developing and training tennis officials. He served on the USTA Official Committee from 2019 to 2022, including as vice-chairman from 2021 to 2022, and has worked as a USTA subject matter expert and trainer.
His background isn’t limited to officiating, either. Allensworth studied history at Ohio University and previously worked with junior and adult competitions in Kentucky. He was also a tournament director for the Joe Creason State Championship, one of the state’s largest junior tournaments.
What Are Greg Allensworth’s Most Notable Umpiring Moments?
For all those credentials, Allensworth has also found himself involved in several controversial moments.
One of the most talked-about events came at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. During Taylor Fritz’s match against Brandon Nakashima, an electronic line-calling error failed to register an out ball. Fritz continued the rally before the error was identified. Allensworth called a let and ordered the point to be replayed rather than awarding it to Fritz. And so the American was clearly unhappy with the decision.
The same tournament produced one more such issue involving Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper. On match point, Auger-Aliassime believed Draper’s shot had bounced twice before crossing the net. Allensworth did not see the second bounce and awarded the point to Draper, ending the match. Replays then showed the incident from a different angle, leading to widespread debate.
Last year in February, during the Dallas Open, Reilly Opelka got a code violation and point penalty from Allensworth. Later, Opelka got furious and said that Allensworth is “the worst ref on the ATP.”
There was one more issue at last year’s US Open. During Daniil Medvedev’s match against Benjamin Bonzi, a photographer entered the court during a crucial moment. As a result, Allensworth gave Bonzi another first serve, leading to a furious reaction from Medvedev.
In his controversial arc, there are also players like Denis Shapovalov, Andy Murray and Carlos Alcaraz.
Why Is Greg Allensworth Chairing the Rybakina vs. Sabalenka US Open 2026 Final?
The appointment of Allensworth for such an important match ultimately comes down to experience. Now he gets another major assignment, with Rybakina and Sabalenka battling for the US Open title. For Allensworth, the challenge is simple but huge enough to make the right calls when the pressure is at its highest.