By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, March 7, 2026
Picture credit score: Antoine Couvercelle/ROLEX
People spring ahead into daylight financial savings time tonight.
Carlos Alcaraz vows he received’t waste his time protesting current shot-clock controversy.
Alcaraz surged by means of 5 of the ultimate six video games, out-dueling Karen Khachanov 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the Qatar ExxonMobil Open semifinals final month.
Throughout that match, Alcaraz ran down a drop shot that may have probably eluded 99 % of the ATP Tour, scampered left then exploded off the courtroom for a sensational excessive backhand volley within the ninth recreation.
As is his customized, Alcaraz held an index finger behind his ear extending the roaring crowd’s celebration of a unbelievable level. Nonetheless, that celebratory surge value Alcaraz as chair umpire Marija Cicak hit him with a time violation after the purpose. In a uncommon present of anger, Alcaraz argued with chair umpire Cicak for a couple of minutes.
“I’m not allowed to go to the towel?” Alcaraz inquired a few occasions. Cicak replied she didn’t begin the service clock till Alcaraz had returned to the again wall to retrieve the towel, subsequently implying he had no argument.
Requested his place on the clock controversy in the present day after his Indian Wells sweep of Grigor Dimitrov in the present day, Alcaraz mentioned he feels protesting is a waste of time as officers aren’t listening to him anyway.
“To be sincere, no person got here to me to ask me what’s my opinion about it,” Alcaraz mentioned. “So it’s like, yeah, it’s gonna be like that, I’d say. I don’t wish to waste my time, to be sincere, as a result of that’s have
been in different conditions that you simply go to complain or to provide your opinion after which nothing change in any respect, so I don’t wish to waste my time. They already know my opinion, what’s it been like for me.
So let’s see in the event that they’re gonna change it or not, however I simply actually wish to be targeted on different issues.”
The world No. 1 mentioned most chair umpires use widespread sense conduct in relation to the serve clock, however steered a pair probably by no means performed tennis and subsequently don’t perceive the subtleties at play.
“We may see there are completely different umpires. So it’s nearly with one or two in all probability, the identical guys that simply have been downside with numerous matches,” Alcaraz mentioned. “However there are different umpires that they’re versatile about it. I’d say in the event that they perceive about tennis, they know the way to do it.
“The blokes who’re actually strict and never having that… let’s say, is as a result of they don’t
perceive tennis in any respect.”
Requested his response, former Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz mentioned typically chair umpires handle the clock accurately although the American cited former Andy Roddick nemesis Fergus Murphy as a chair umpire who has been notably fast on the clock.
“I don’t have that a lot of a difficulty with it. I believe typically, you realize, we generally is a bit smarter with
it if, like, if somebody performs a protracted level and so they end the purpose on the web on the other nook, and we’re taking part in someplace the place it’s humid and also you type of, like, you have to towel off your palms in between factors,” Fritz mentioned. “Then, okay, perhaps you give the particular person an additional 5 seconds. And
that’s the place the problem type of is available in, as a result of it simply routinely begins after the purpose.
“I had points prior to now when the umpires have been those that have been beginning it, as a result of I felt like some umpires would begin it sooner than others, so I at all times had a difficulty with particularly Fergus beginning the clock tremendous quick.
“And I’d by no means obtained known as for time violations and nobody ever obtained known as for time violations towards me, however then there was in all probability 10 in whole in my matches when he was within the chair, after which it began simply being computerized, like when the purpose ends, it simply begins. It’s not likely as much as the umpire.”
