Carlos Alcaraz picked up his eighth ATP Tour title of the year on Tuesday, beating Taylor Fritz in the final of the Japan Open.
Fritz gave it a go despite dealing with a leg issue but couldn’t stop Alcaraz from getting another win, this time under the roof in Tokyo.
The Spaniard has been on quite a run since then, picking up 18 wins in his last 19 matches.
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Alcaraz has only lost once in that stretch and looked every bit in form again on Tuesday, even against Fritz, who’d beaten him not long ago at the Laver Cup.
Alcaraz took this one 6-4, 6-4, and while he’ll be happy to add another trophy to his collection, there was one thing about the match that clearly didn’t sit well with him.
Alcaraz voices frustration over shot clock timing in Japan Open Final
During the first set, Carlos Alcaraz grew frustrated with how quickly umpire Fergus Murphy was starting the shot clock between points.
The 22-year-old pointed to a particularly demanding rally from the previous game to highlight his concerns about how fast play was being restarted.
Sitting courtside, Alcaraz said: “Do you think this is normal? It is normal, or no? I’m asking a question, is it normal or no?
“Finish the point at the net, I’m a little bit tired about the ball (after the point) and I can go to ask for the balls. Do you think this is normal or no?”
After receiving a reply from Murphy that wasn’t picked up by microphones, Alcaraz continued to voice his displeasure.
He said: “You haven’t played tennis in your life, come on. You’ve never played tennis in your life.”
Alcaraz’s Japan Open winnings
Carlos Alcaraz walked away with a substantial sum after his victory in Tokyo. Following his straight-sets win over Fritz, the Spaniard was photographed holding a cheque for $416,365.
The 22-year-old also held onto his ATP points tally. By winning in Japan, he matched the 500 points he earned at the China Open last year. As a result, Alcaraz remains on 11,540 ATP points.
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