Carlos Alcaraz hit out at "absurd" and "terrible" rules surrounding the shot clock after getting into an argument with chair umpire Marija Cicak. The world No. 1 wasn't happy when he received a time violation during the ninth game of the opening set, having just come through a thrilling rally. Alcaraz went to his towel before his next serve and was hit with the violation, then confronted Cicak. "So I'm not allowed to use the towel?" he asked.

Alcaraz continued the argument at the next changeover, as the umpire explained: "I stopped it when you were close there, but I had to start it again. I can't let it stop constantly. I can't invent more time." The seven-tome Major winner still wasn't satisfied, and ranted: "The rule is always s***. S***. It's always the same. Always. Super unfair."

He went on to lose the first set to Karen Khachanov in a tiebreak but battled back to win 6-7(3) 6-4 6-3. And Alcaraz has now doubled down on his comments about the shot clock. "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," the top seed told AS.

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"She 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. 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."

Players get 25 seconds to recover in between points. Umpires previously decided when to start this countdown, but in 2024, a new rule was trialled and implemented, meaning the shot clock automatically begins three seconds after the last point. Alcaraz says he's not the only player unhappy with the rules.

The seven-time Major champion added: "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 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."

It's not the first time Alcaraz has hit out about the shot clock. When the automatic three-second system was introduced in 2024, the Spanish star lashed out and said he wanted to speak to the ATP about the rule.

"I think for the player it is something bad. I finish the point at the net, and I had no time to ask for the balls. It is crazy. I have time just to ask for two balls and no bounces. I have never seen something like that in tennis," Alcaraz said in 2024 after losing to Jack Draper at London's Queen's Club.

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