Carlos Alcaraz lost his cool during his quarter-final win at the Qatar Open, calling ATP rules "s**t" after getting slapped with a time violation at the worst possible moment.
The world No. 1 is having a perfect start to 2026. He’s won every single match he’s played this year, including his Australian Open title.
But his unbeaten streak almost came to an end against Karen Khachanov in Doha. The Russian gave him everything he could handle before Alcaraz finally pulled through 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
The drama happened in the first set with the score tied 4-4. Alcaraz was facing a break point when chair umpire Marija Cicak hit him with a time violation warning.
That’s when things got heated.
Cicak is known for being pretty strict, and she wasn’t backing down. She explained that she’d actually tried to help him by stopping the clock while he got his towel.
“I stopped time at 25 seconds when it started. Then you got the towel. Then I started the clock again. Carlos, I stopped it til you reached there. I stopped it at 25 seconds til you actually reached the towel. I stopped it til you reached the area, where you asked the kid to get the towel… I can’t cancel it.”
Alcaraz wasn’t having any of it.
He kept complaining during the changeover, and that’s when he really let loose about the ATP’s time rules.
“The ATP rules are always s**t. They’re s**t.”
After the match, he doubled down on his criticism. The seven-time major winner called the whole system "absurd."
“Honestly, I think the time rule is absurd. After a very demanding point, finishing at the net, sprinting to my towel, I practically had no time left. She (the chair umpire) told me she stopped the clock when I was on my towel, but from then until I called for the balls and prepared to serve, I had no time to spare. To me, that makes no sense.”
The Real Problem With Tennis’s Shot Clock
Here’s what really bothers Alcaraz about the current system. After those brutal rallies that leave players gasping for air, they’ve got just 25 seconds to serve again.
That includes getting to the towel, wiping off sweat, walking back, bouncing the ball, and actually serving. Oh, and doing all this while the crowd is still going crazy.
“Besides, the crowd was still shouting and cheering, which also causes delays. I looked at the clock when there were three or four seconds left and I didn’t have enough time to serve, but she still gave me a warning. Personally, I think there should be a bit more leniency, even a reconsideration of the rule, because in such tough matches, the same thing always happens, and to me, it’s ridiculous.”
Alcaraz says he’s not alone in feeling this way. Pretty much every player on tour has to deal with with this issue.
Some guys are naturally faster between points. Others need a bit more time to get ready.
“Yes, I think many players feel the same way. Some are faster, and others have slightly slower routines. I try to adapt as much as possible, and in many matches, I know I have to respect the time, so I change my routine: I call for fewer balls, I move faster, I bounce the ball less if I see I’m running out of time.”
But here’s his biggest point about the whole thing. Tennis is supposed to be entertainment, right?
“But tennis is also about entertainment. The ATP says it wants to attract more people, to broaden its audience. If they don’t allow us time to recover between points to offer the best possible level, everything goes too fast, and it’s difficult to engage the crowd. I think the umpires should be more flexible or, better yet, add a few more seconds to the clock. With a little more leeway, we can prepare better to put on a show on every point.”
Moving Forward in Doha
Despite all the drama, Alcaraz managed to turn things around after losing that first set.
He’ll face Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals. If he makes it to the final, he’ll play either Jakub Mensik or Arthur Fils.
The good news? His perfect 2026 record is still intact. The bad news? He’s clearly frustrated with rules that he thinks are holding back the sport’s entertainment value.
It’ll be interesting to see if the ATP responds to his criticism or if this becomes a bigger issue as the season goes on.
