Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani avoids punishment over Nick Kyrgios pep talk at US Open

Pierre-Hugues Herbert launched a scathing attack on Lahyani after he stepped down from his chair in the second-round match and spoke to Kyrgios about his performance.

But USTA chiefs have undertaken a ‘comprehensive review’ of the chair umpire’s behaviour and decided that he will avoid punishment, despite accepting that his actions went ‘beyond protocol’.

A statement read: "After a comprehensive review conducted by US Open officials, including US Open Tournament Director David Brewer, Tournament Referee Brian Earley and others, the US Open determined that chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani’s conduct during Thursday’s second-round match involving Nick Kyrgios and Pierre-Hugues Herbert went beyond protocol.

The Australian looked to be heading out of the tournament after losing the first set and trailing 3-0 in the second when Lahyani intervened.

A video of the incident revealed that the umpire told the 23-year-old: “I want to help you, I know this is not you."

Kyrgios subsequently powered to victory, winning 4-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-0 to set up a meeting with Roger Federer.

Despite the USTA accepting that Lahyani was wrong to speak with the tennis player, they have decided that he can continue to umpire at this year’s US Open without sanction due to his ‘exemplary track record as an international tennis official’.

Players are forbidden from receiving on-court coaching during matches, and Herbert remains unhappy at the USTA’s claim that Lahyani was checking on Kyrgios’ condition.

Chris Widmaier, a USTA spokesman, told the Associated Press on Friday: “He now has a better understanding of what our protocols are and was informed that he needs to stick to those protocols for the rest of the tournament."