"Tennis is its own sport" - Carlos Alcaraz's complaints about new shot clock at Queen's Club receives pushback from Andy Murray's ex-coach

Carlos Alcaraz's objection to the new shot clock rule has received pushback from Andy Murray's ex-coach. The Spaniard was upset with this rule during his recent encounter at the Queen's Club Championships against Jack Draper.

Alcaraz suffered a 6-7, 3-6 loss to Draper and failed to defend his title. After the loss, he fielded some questions from the press. Answering a question about whether he was being rushed on the court, he said yes. He also stated that the 'clock never stops', adding that it was not good for the players. The Spaniard also said he would talk to ATP about this rule.

"Yeah, absolutely. I mean, he told me that there is a new rule, this new thing, that the clock never stops. After the point is finished, the clock is putting on. I feel like I can't ask for the balls. It's crazy. Today I felt like I was in a rush all the time. I had no time to bounce and do my routine. Of course it's something bad for the players, I think," Carlos Alcaraz said to the press.

Andy Murray's ex-coach Mark Petchey was not in complete agreement with Alcaraz's stance on the new rule. He said that this situation needed a multi-layered solution.

"A highly nuanced situation needs a multi-layered solution. Start with the fact for a ace you get the same amount of time as a 50-shot rally and you quickly realise that there needs to me be than what we are seeing this week (sic)," Petchey said.

"Tennis is its own sport and should put rules in place according to the way the sport is played," he added.

Another former tennis pro Paul McNamee offered his two cents and said that the three seconds + 30 seconds between the points was a good approach, in place of the three seconds + 25 seconds rule that was being tried right now.

"I think the 3 secs plus 30 secs between points is the way to go… it objectively treats all players the same, like automated line calling, so I agree with a change," Paul McNamee wrote.

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Carlos Alcaraz details the difficulty with the stop-clock rule

Carlos Alcaraz at the Queen's Club Championships

Carlos Alcaraz was not a fan of the trial of the stop clock rule at the 2024 Queen's Club Championships. He told the press that when he finished the point at the net, he had no time to ask for balls, adding that he could only ask for two balls.

"I mean, I finish the point at the net, and I had no time to ask for the balls. I mean, I'm not saying to go to a towel and taking my time. I have time just to ask for two balls and no bounces," Carlos Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz said he tried to do his best with his serve, with his routine being disrupted due to the time limit.

"I mean, I think I have never seen something like that in tennis. If you play a long point or finish at the net, you have time just to go for a towel or ask for your routine, ask for, in my case, four balls, I'm concentrating for the next point, just bouncing my bounces, and serve as best as I can," Carlos Alcaraz said.