Carlos Alcaraz’s Frustration at the Japan Open
Carlos Alcaraz expressed his frustration over the management of the shot clock during a tense moment in the final of the Japan Open held in Tokyo in 2025, where he secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Taylor Fritz. Despite the straight-set win, Fritz posed a significant challenge throughout the match, highlighted by numerous lengthy rallies that even had the usually dynamic Alcaraz struggling for breath.
Controversial Shot Clock Violation
The intensity peaked in the fourth game of the opening set when Alcaraz exceeded the 25 seconds allocated between points after an exhausting rally. This infraction led to a time violation, prompting a heated conversation with the umpire, Fergus Murphy, during the subsequent changeover. Alcaraz could not contain his emotions, directly questioning Murphy’s view on the appropriateness of issuing a time violation following such an energy-draining exchange.
“You think it’s normal? You think it’s normal or not? I’m asking a question; you think it’s normal or not? I finished a point at the net, I’m a bit tired after the point, and I cannot go and ask for the balls. Do you think it’s normal, or no?”
He pressed, highlighting his discontent with the umpire’s judgment. Murphy attempted to justify his call, but his explanation did not appease Alcaraz, who lashed out, accusing the umpire of having no real experience in the game.
“You have never played tennis in your life… you said it was normal, you have never played tennis, you have never played tennis,”
he exclaimed. Despite this exchange, Alcaraz showed remarkable focus, putting the incident behind him as he continued to dominate the match and ultimately clinched the title.
Previous Incidents and Umpire’s Style
This incident is not a first for Alcaraz; similar frustrations have arisen previously, notably during his encounter with Murphy at the 2025 Australian Open against Jack Draper, where he argued that Murphy initiated the shot clock too quickly, not allowing adequate recovery time.
Murphy’s style has been recognized for being particularly stringent with shot clock management, a sentiment echoed by Fritz, who noted his issues with Murphy stemmed from the referee’s promptness in starting the timer. While umpires are granted some leeway for players to recover after grueling rallies, the boundaries of this discretion remain a debatable topic among players and fans alike. Alcaraz also faced scrutiny at the 2024 China Open after he received two time violations within a single game, leaving him exasperated as he defended his actions passionately.
