Alcaraz gets wet when talking about the time clock: "Tennis-savvy umpires do know how to use it"

Carlos Navarro | 8 Mar 2026 | 04.24

Alcaraz spoke openly about problems with referees in past moments. Source: Getty

Streaming ATP Madrid live tennis

🎾 Alexander Blockx vs Alexander Zverev

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

Carlos Alcaraz began his journey in Indian Wells 2026 with an iron fist, eliminating Grigor Dimitrov in a first round that turned out to be a completely routine test. The match posed hardly any problems for the player from Murcia, who was able to display his most solid and consistent version from start to finish, taming the windy conditions of the Californian desert to give himself the opportunity to advance with minimal wear and tear.

The match did not provide many headlines in terms of tennis, with Alcaraz showcasing his tennis without much trouble, showing himself to be infinitely superior to his opponent. Perhaps this is why the post-match press conference allowed the journalists present to delve into certain topics that were somewhat pending, highlighting the past 'issues' that the Murcian has had with some chair umpires regarding the time clock between serves. In Doha, for instance, the Murcian had his ups and downs on this matter in a couple of matches... and already in the United States, he did not hold back, insisting that he does not agree at all with how some referees use it.

Alcaraz spoke about his first victory at Indian Wells and shared his thoughts on his serving level, the presence of his friend Jimmy Butler, and some past issues

- Feelings after a highly convincing victory over Dimitrov

"I think I played great today. The conditions weren't easy; there was a lot of wind. I would say my game was much better than his when we both played well, I hardly made any mistakes. That helped me a lot today; I am truly happy to have achieved all the goals I set before the match. Content to have secured the victory in straight sets."

- On past issues with the time clock between points, whether he has spoken with the ATP about it

"Honestly, I haven't talked to them. The truth is, no one has come to ask me for my opinion on the matter. I would say things will continue as they are. I don't want to waste my time, honestly, because there have been other situations where you complain or simply voice your opinion and nothing changes, so I don't want to waste my time on that. They already know my opinion on the matter, how I have felt about this whole issue. We'll see if they change it or not, but I want to focus on other matters. Let's say there are several chair umpires; the issue lies with one or two, the same ones who have been a problem in many matches. There are others who are flexible regarding this. I'd say if they understand tennis, they know how to handle it. Those who are very strict and have no flexibility are the ones who know nothing about this sport."

- How he uses the body serve in the first set, being one of the players who uses it the most on the tour. How effective does he consider it and why does he use it so much?

"I would say other players think of winning the point directly with their serve, and I sometimes try to hit a good first serve not to win the point with that shot, but thinking about the next one, the second hit. The body serve is truly useful, and I have been using it very frequently lately, becoming a great weapon that has worked wonders for me. I'd say it's about looking beyond the serve, not just focusing on that specific stroke."

- Jimmy Butler was back in the stands, a close friend and one of the best basketball players of the last decade

"Yes, yes, he's my buddy (smiles). I knew he was coming. He told me he was recovering from his last injury very close by, that he was going to come see me. Very happy that after what he went through with that injury, with the knee, he can come to see me and take the time to spend some time with me later. I appreciate it from the heart. I can't see him very often, but the fact that he made the effort to come here makes me very happy."

- Golf, a fundamental part of his time at Indian Wells... allowing himself to talk about future opponents after facing Federer in Australia

"My level is not quite there yet, but I'm getting closer. Here, I played with several tennis players: I went to play with Taylor (Fritz), also with Sascha (Zverev). We can't play 18 holes, but we played a few and had a great time. I'm still working on my level to approach guys like Mardy Fish or Andy Roddick, who I know are playing great golf. Someday I'll challenge them."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz se moja al hablar del reloj de tiempo: "Los árbitros que entienden de tenis sí saben utilizarlo"