Carlos Alcaraz Erupts In Doha, Goes On Explicit Rant About 'Sh*tty' ATP Rules | WATCH

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Last Updated:February 20, 2026, 18:25 IST

Alcaraz clashed with the umpire over a time violation during his ATP 500 Doha quarterfinal against Karen Khachanov, but rallied to win 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

We love Carlos Alcaraz for the fire. The fist pumps. The roar. The edge.

But in Doha, that fire briefly boiled over and nearly consumed him.

During his quarterfinal clash with Karen Khachanov at the ATP 500 in Doha, the world No. 1 lost more than just the opening set, he lost his cool.

The contest was razor-tight from the start. Khachanov edged the first set in a tie-break (7-3), frustrating Alcaraz in what was already a tense battle.

At 4-4 in the first set, with advantage to Alcaraz on serve, chair umpire Marija Cicak issued a time violation warning after a long rally. The Spaniard had gone for his towel — and the clock, in his view, hadn’t been properly paused.

That’s when things flared.

Alcaraz still upset about the time violation warning he received during his match against Khachanov in Doha:Carlos: “The ATP rules are always shit. They’re shit."

Umpire: “Ok. Well, I think we got the point."

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/HIcl14jQcg

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 19, 2026

Marija Cicak: “I stopped the clock."

Alcaraz: “No, you didn’t."

Cicak: “Yes, I did. I stopped the clock at 25 seconds. Then you took the towel. After that, I restarted the clock."

Alcaraz: “How long did you stop the clock? Tell me."

Cicak: “Carlos, I stopped it until you got there. I stopped it at 25 seconds until you reached the towel."

Alcaraz: “Okay. So I’m not allowed to go get my towel."

Cicak: “I stopped it until you got to the spot where you asked the ball boy to get the towel… I can’t cancel it."

Alcaraz: “I’m not allowed to go get my towel. I’m not allowed."

Cicak: “Yes, I understand. But I can’t do anything."

The exchange didn’t cool him down.

After dropping the set, Alcaraz vented again:

“The ATP rules are always s***. They are s***."

Cicak replied calmly: “Okay. Well, I think we’ve understood."

To his credit, Alcaraz regrouped. He worked his way back into the match, raising his level and sealing a 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory.

And once again, Carlitos found a way to channel the rage into results.

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First Published:

February 20, 2026, 18:25 IST

News sports tennis Carlos Alcaraz Erupts In Doha, Goes On Explicit Rant About 'Sh*tty' ATP Rules | WATCH

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