Controversy arose during Carlos Alcaraz’s Cincinnati Open fourth-round match when he clashed with the chair umpire over covering the sponsorship logo on his water bottle. The Spaniard, who advanced comfortably to the quarterfinals, appeared visibly frustrated during the exchange.
Carlos Alcaraz Engages in a Heated Row With the Chair Umpire at Cincinnati Open
Just before the Wimbledon Championships, Alcaraz signed an endorsement deal with mineral water brand Evian, becoming its global ambassador. The brand has also partnered with Emma Raducanu since 2021.
Alcaraz also brought the brand’s bottle onto court during his fourth-round clash with Luca Nardi. However, during a first-set changeover, chair umpire Greg Allensworth instructed the Spaniard to cover the logo, explaining that it conflicted with the tournament’s official sponsorship agreements.
“We’ve been told because of the logos and sponsors,” he was heard saying.
Clearly frustrated by the umpire’s request, Alcaraz fired back in response, stating:
“Yeah but it wasn’t my fault. Why it should be covered when it wasn’t my fault.”
The exchange continued till Alcaraz argued it was unfair to make him cover the logo, insisting he wasn’t responsible for the umpire’s fault.
“It wasn’t my fault, why do I have to cover it when it wasn’t my fault. So because it’s your fault I have to cover it. I doesn’t work like this, because it’s your fault and then I have to pay for that. No, I am not going to cover it,” he said.
alcaraz beefing with the umpire and refusing to put away the evian water bottles ijbol run him his check rn @evianwater
— . (@stcrnights) August 14, 2025
The Spaniard didn’t let the dispute distract him, quickly regaining focus to dominate Nardi 6-1, 6-2 and book his place in the quarterfinals.
Carlos Alcaraz To Face Andrey Rublev in the Cincinnati Open Quarterfinals
Carlos Alcaraz now turns his attention to the quarterfinals, where he will take on ninth seed Andrey Rublev. The Russian has impressed with his form in Cincinnati and could present a stern test for the Spaniard. Like Alcaraz, Rublev cruised through his previous round, easing past Francisco Comesaña 6-2, 6-3 to advance.
So far, Alcaraz and Rublev have faced each other four times on tour, with the Spaniard leading their head-to-head 3-1. Their most recent meeting came at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, where Alcaraz prevailed 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The winner will move on to the semifinals, where they will face Alexander Zverev or the victor of the clash between Ben Shelton and Jiri Lehecka.
