Carlos Alcaraz criticizes tennis officials for the “ludicrous” rule change

Following his defeat by Jack Draper, the 21-year-old French Open winner claimed that the new shot clock was ‘terrible for the players’.
Carlos Alcaraz says he will file a complaint about a “crazy” rule change being trialed at Queen’s this week with the professional tennis tour (ATP).

British No. 1 Jack Draper defeated Alcaraz, 21, in straight sets on Tuesday, resulting in his first loss on grass in almost two years.

In the opening set, reigning French Open and Wimbledon winner Alcaraz not only lost to Drpaer but also got into a fight with umpire Mohamed Lahyani over the amount of time he was granted in between points.

For the past ten days, the ATP has been conducting a rules trial in which the 25-second “shot clock” begins automatically three seconds after the previous point. If a player does not begin serving before the clock runs out, they may receive a warning and ultimately lose a point.

When asked if he felt hurried during the game, Alcaraz responded, “Yes, without a doubt.”

“I believe that is a negative thing for the player. I couldn’t have asked for the balls in time when I finished the point at the net. I only need two balls, please, and no bounces; I have time.

“That is something I have never seen in tennis.” If you play a long point or finish at the net, you should have enough time to grab a towel or go about your routine. For me, it means asking for four balls, bouncing my bounces, focusing on the next point, and serving as best I can.

“I felt like I was always in a rush today. I didn’t have time to practice my routine or bounce. It’s obviously detrimental to the players.

I believe that players met at the Queen’s Club this week to talk about the trial. However, two weeks prior, prior to tournaments in Stuttgart and s-Hertogenbosch, they were notified via email about the trial, and Alcaraz stated he would be filing a complaint with the ATP following the match.

The shot clock for the doubles competition is only 15 seconds, as opposed to the 25 seconds available to singles players, which is an even stricter set of timing regulations being tested. Players may request a 10-second extension after a set.

One participant in the Queen’s draw, who wished to remain unnamed, told me, “There’s no time to talk tactics.”

“You should have more time to talk in doubles between points, but there isn’t even enough time to say ‘well done,’ let alone decide what to do.”

Teams are only given 40 seconds at the change of ends before “time” is called, which makes it difficult for stewards to get fans into their seats in between games.

“I don’t know anyone that likes it, even the fans on court were complaining about it,” a another player said.

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