Alcaraz: Clock Controversy A Waste of Time

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, March 7, 2026Photo credit score: Antoine Couvercelle/ROLEX

People spring ahead into daylight financial savings time tonight.

Carlos Alcaraz vows he gained’t waste his time protesting latest 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 will have seemingly eluded 99 % of the ATP Tour, scampered left then exploded off the court docket for a sensational excessive backhand volley within the ninth sport.

As is his customized, Alcaraz held an index finger behind his ear extending the roaring crowd’s celebration of a unbelievable level. Nevertheless, 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 instances. 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 right now after his Indian Wells sweep of Grigor Dimitrov right now, 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 might say. I don’t need to waste my time, to be sincere, as a result of that’s havebeen 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 need 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 need to be targeted on different issues.”

The world No. 1 mentioned most chair umpires use widespread sense conduct on the subject of the serve clock, however steered a pair seemingly by no means performed tennis and subsequently don’t perceive the subtleties at play.

“We might see there are completely different umpires. So it’s nearly with one or two most likely, the identical guys that simply have been downside with plenty of matches,” Alcaraz mentioned. “However there are different umpires that they’re versatile about it. I might say in the event that they perceive about tennis, they know do it.

“The blokes who’re actually strict and never having that… let’s say, is as a result of they don’tunderstand tennis in any respect.”

Requested his response, former Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz mentioned usually chair umpires handle the clock appropriately 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 problem with it. I believe generally, , we is usually a bit smarter withit if, like, if somebody performs an extended level they usually end the purpose on the web on the other nook, and we’re enjoying someplace the place it’s humid and also you form of, like, it’s essential towel off your fingers in between factors,” Fritz mentioned. “Then, okay, perhaps you give the individual an additional 5 seconds. Andthat’s the place the problem form of is available in, as a result of it simply routinely begins after the purpose.

“I had points prior to now when the umpires had been those that had 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 problem with particularly Fergus beginning the clock tremendous quick.

“And I’d by no means bought referred to as for time violations and nobody ever bought referred to as for time violations towards me, however then there was most likely 10 in whole in my matches when he was within the chair, after which it began simply being automated, like when the purpose ends, it simply begins. It’s not likely as much as the umpire.”