Carlos Alcaraz doesn't often clash with umpires, but when he does, he probably has a very good reason to do so, and it happened at the 2024 China Open.
The Spaniard isn't a tennis player known to make a scene. He grew up watching players like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer try to avoid those moments at all costs. He tries to avoid breaking rackets as well, but he did it recently in Cincinnati, and that situation surprised many.
Alcaraz wasn't happy about it, as he apologized later, promising not to do it again. Still, he's a human, and like any other human, he has feelings that come out at times. Frustration is sometimes palpable with the 21-year-old, but he does a good job of not allowing it to escalate too much.
The Spaniard was overcome with frustration in his most recent match at the China Open. He faced big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, whom he bested in two sets.
It was a sturdy performance from Alcaraz, who managed to avoid any complications against a big-serving player, but he had some issues with the umpire, Raluca Andrei.
The Spaniard was given two time violations in one game, which he deemed was too much. He clashed with the umpire, explaining that he never gets time violations, and now he's gotten two in one game.
He wasn't happy about it because he lost the first serve after the second violation, which happened to be on a set point—so not the best time at all. After the match, Alcaraz was asked bout the situation, and he confirmed that he was angry because it seemed to him like he was given no time.
The clock has been part of tennis for a while now, and it largely depends on the individual umpire as to how strictly they enforce it. Some are more forgiving than others, and Alcaraz thought this umpire wasn't forgiving at all.
"Obviously, I was little bit mad about the time rule because I feel like I have no time. I have to run between points. I have no time to have a break, to rest or to breathe. I mean, if I finish the point at the net, which was the case, I have no time to go to the towel and do my routine."
"I was a little bit mad about it. Yeah, the emotions of the close the first set, it was really important for me coming to the second set with energy and confident. That's what I did."
The shot clock has been an interesting addition to tennis because not all players were on board with it. Some players who take more time between points, such as Rafael Nadal, likely don't favor it too much, while some who seemingly rush through points, such as Nick Kyrgios or Daniil Medvedev, probably like it.
Still, even they can sometimes found themselves tired after a rally, wanting more time than usually. Alcaraz is probably somewhere in the middle, but this time around, he wasn't too happy about the rule.
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