Carlos Alcaraz said he would speak to the ATP about a “new” shot clock rule being trialled after feeling rushed during his defeat by Jack Draper at Queen’s Club.
Alcaraz’s preparations for his Wimbledon title defence suffered a setback with a shock 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 loss to new British No 1 Draper in the last 16 in front of his home crowd.
The 25-second shot clock was previously started only when the chair umpire called the score but the tweak to the rule in the trial means that the countdown to a serve begins almost immediately after a point is concluded.
The new regulation, aimed at streamlining game flow and ensuring consistent time management, has been on trial since the French Open concluded and it is believed the trial will continue in ATP tournaments until the end of the season.
Alcaraz said that he had no time to go through his regular routine during the match and that he had expressed his concerns to chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani.
“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,” the world No 2 said.
“I think for the players it’s something bad. I finish the point at the net and I had no time to ask for balls. I’m not saying to go to a towel and take my time. I feel like I can’t ask for the balls.
