World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jaume Munar in an intensely grueling second-round battle at the Queen’s Club Championships. However, the Spaniard made headlines not only for his victory but also for engaging in a heated exchange with the chair umpire during the match.
Alcaraz entered the grass-court swing after successfully defending his French Open title, defeating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the longest final in the tournament’s history. He then shifted his focus to the Queen’s Club Championships, beginning his campaign with a straight-sets victory over Adam Walton.
Carlos Alcaraz Engaged in a Heated Argument With the Chair Umpire Over Time Violation
Alcaraz faced stiff competition from Munar in the second round, needing three hours and 23 minutes to secure a 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-5 victory. While Alcaraz gave his all to overcome his compatriot, the shot clock’s pace left him visibly frustrated during the match. Munar, too, expressed his displeasure with the speed of the shot clock, and both players approached the chair umpire to seek clarification.
A few years ago, the 25-second shot clock rule was introduced to reduce downtime during matches. It requires players to begin play within 25 seconds after a point ends on their service games.
Later, a time violation on his serve following a lengthy point didn’t sit well with Alcaraz. He subsequently engaged in a tense exchange with the umpire, arguing that he should have been given time to dust himself off. Apparently, he didn’t begin the play within the set time frame.
“What? Why? You can stop. I finished there at the point, you know what I mean? I have to go to the towel. I need to do my routine. Yeah, but I have to go to the towel many times. They bring me to me and still I don’t have time to go, you know?” he argued.
Even commentator Nick Lester was surprised by the incident, given the Spaniard’s typically composed on-court demeanor. Watch the clip shared below:
Carlos Alcaraz voices his frustration over a time violation call at Queen’s #HSBCChampionships pic.twitter.com/vMLG7SqOjE
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 19, 2025
Munar certainly put up some resistance against the World No. 2, who had taken a 2-0 lead in the final set. However, Munar responded by winning four consecutive games, before Alcaraz mounted a comeback of his own to seal the set 7-5 and secure his place in the next round.
As noted, Alcaraz is generally known for his calm and cheerful demeanor on court, making this incident a rare exception. However, he has had similar exchanges with umpires in the past as well.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Past Heated Exchanges with Umpires Over the Shot Clock Rule
The same shot clock rule appeared to trouble the World No. 2 at the Miami Open in March. Leading 7-5, 1-1 in his second-round match against David Goffin, Alcaraz received a time violation for failing to serve within 25 seconds. In his exchange with the umpire, he argued that it was difficult to comply with the rule when finishing points at the net.
Rarely complains but when he does pay heed! The shot clock is the first rule that needs reform before anything else! pic.twitter.com/LYlJTKyReC
— TG (@Tennisgeeking) March 22, 2025
Another notable instance occurred at the China Open last year, where the Spaniard received two time violations during the first set against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The tournament used an automatic shot clock, similar to the one at the Queen’s Club Championships.
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As Alcaraz reached set point, he received his second time violation and lost his first serve. Although he went on to win the set, he got involved in a heated argument with the chair umpire.
Nonetheless, Alcaraz will aim to put these frustrations behind him as he focuses on his next match against Arthur Rinderknech at the Queen’s Club Championships. The Spaniard leads 2-0 in their head-to-head and may hold a psychological advantage going into Friday’s quarterfinal encounter.
