In Wednesday’s win over Luca Nardi, world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz was left frustrated by a unique rule in place at the Cincinnati Open.
As chair umpire Greg Allensworth told Alcaraz during the match, he needed to either remove the Evian labels from his water bottles or put them away.
During an on-court exchange, Allensworth can be heard off-camera, saying:
“That’s what we’ve been told because of the logos and sponsors.”
Alcaraz, in response, can then be heard saying:
“Yeah but it wasn’t my fault. Why it should be covered?”
Allensworth then responds:
“I understand, but in all honesty I would’ve had you cover them anyway.”
After Alcaraz repeats that the situation wasn’t his fault, Allensworth then explains:
“It was my fault because I didn’t catch it sooner.”
The five-time Grand Slam champ then says:
“So because your fault I have to cover it? It doesn’t work like this. And then I have to pay for that because of your fault? No. I’m not going to cover it.”
After refusing to comply, Alcaraz could wind up facing a fine, as he indicated during the exchange.
Fans Share in Carlos Alcaraz’s Frustrations Over Water Rule
As it turns out, players aren’t the only ones who are subject to the Cincinnati Open’s water rules.
In response to the exchange between Alcaraz and Allensworth, a number of fans revealed that while waiting to get into the tournament, volunteers told them to remove the labels on any water bottles that weren’t produced by Aquafina.
As one fan wrote: “They even told the public to remove labels as we entered the grounds…alcaraz wasn’t the only person to ignore the demand…it’s a ridiculous ask”
Another added: “As we stood in line to go in, the volunteers told us only UNOPENED bottled water w/Aquafina labels, are allowed in. If it’s a different brand, we had to remove the label. If it was opened, it was trashed…needless to say, there was a bottled water graveyard upon entering!”
The big question now is whether Alcaraz decides to go on-court with his Evian water bottles for his quarterfinal showdown with Andrey Rublev tomorrow.
Carlos Alcaraz Reflects on Win Over Luca Nardi
Following his win over Luca Nardi, Carlos Alcaraz spoke with TennisTV for his on-court interview.
While he didn’t address the controversy, he explained that he’s starting to get used to the hot humid conditions in Cincinnati, and was satisfied by his performance.
“I think this match was the best so far for me in this tournament. As I said “At the beginning of the tournament, I just really wanted to get better every day, after every practice and every match. I think I’m doing it, which I’m really proud about. I’m just happy with the way I felt the ball today and the way that I moved.
“I think I got used to the conditions, the humidity, the [heat] and everything so I’m just really happy to get through.”
Alcaraz now collides with Andrey Rublev for a fifth time after having won their two most recent matches at Wimbledon this year, and the Nitto ATP Finals last year.
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