"Would have called my lawyer" - Fans stunned as bizarre rule grants Frances Tiafoe a point despite touching net against Milos Raonic at Canadian Open

Several tennis fans were left in utter disbelief when a peculiar rule awarded Frances Tiafoe a point despite him making contact with the net during his first-round match against Milos Raonic at the 2023 Canadian Open on Monday.

Raonic staged a comeback and eventually defeated Tiafoe 6-7(12), 7-6(4), 6-3 to book his spot in the second round against Taro Daniel. However, the opening set went in the American's favor on a crucial point in a 26-point tiebreak.

With a set point opportunity, leading 13/12 in the tiebreak, Tiafoe sprinted towards the net from behind the baseline to retrieve a high net cord shot. The American executed a perfectly angled low cross-court winner. However, his momentum carried him into the net before the ball could bounce twice.

Initially, the chair umpire Fergus Murphy called a net touch against Tiafoe. However, he quickly rectified his decision when he realized that Frances Tiafoe had touched the net outside of the singles stick, ultimately awarding the point to the American.

Milos Raonic and his home supporters present in the stadium were left stunned by the umpire's decision. Several tennis fans on social media also quickly expressed their bewilderment.

One fan stated that they would have called their lawyer over the decision because they believed that Tiafoe's contact with the doubles part of the net had an impact on the singles net.

"Would have called my lawyer. You can touch that part of the net and still affect the singles net. It’s not the same as a chair, and it’s not a permanent fixture because that part of the net doesn’t stay up when you take down the net," the fan tweeted.

Another fan called it arguably the "worst rule" in tennis.

"Probably the worst rule in tennis. With this rule, that means I can be volleying up at the net and if my opponent returns my volley that’s coming close to the net I can grab the “permanent fixture” (the doubles part of the net) and lift it up to block the ball from coming over," the fan tweeed.

Here are a few more reactions:

Milos Raonic reveals his secret to losing 40 pounds on the way to his tour comeback

Milos Raonic speaks to the media at the 2023 Canadian Open

Milos Raonic recently shared the reason behind his 40-pound weight loss in the lead-up to his tour comeback. He candidly admitted to following a unique dietary regimen, consisting of just one steak per day for a duration of four to five weeks.

Although this unconventional approach undeniably yielded positive results for the Canadian, he was keen to emphasize that it is not a method he would endorse for others.

After a 23-month hiatus caused by injury, Raonic made a return to the tennis court at the Libema Open earlier this year, where he secured a first-round victory against Miomir Kecmanovic.

The former World No. 3 then competed at Wimbledon, where he advanced to the second round. Unfortunately for him, however, his journey came to an end as he faced a defeat against Tommy Paul.

During an interview with Open Court, Milos Raonic candidly discussed the weight loss he had to undergo during his rehabilitation process. The Canadian made a conscious decision to shed some pounds in order to enhance his performance on the court, which led him to embark on a rather unconventional diet regimen.

"Most of my injuries have been to the lower body, so I knew I needed (to do) something to give myself the best chance. I only ate one steak a day for about 4-5 weeks. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. I don't think it was a smart thing to do. There were a lot of parts to it that I didn't enjoy. ... but I was willing to do it," Milos Raonic said.