Carlos Alcaraz defeated Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 Qatar Open on Thursday, February 19, to reach the semifinals. After losing the first set in the tiebreak, the Spaniard mounted an impressive comeback to win the next two sets and secure his spot in the final four. However, during the first set, he engaged in a heated argument with the chair umpire, Marija Čičak, over a time violation warning he received.
Now, the former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic has shared her thoughts on the incident, warning Alcaraz not to get involved in anything like this again.
Andrea Petkovic Warns Carlos Alcaraz About His Argument Against Chair Umpire Marija Čičak
Alcaraz defeated Khachanov 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday in Doha to reach the semifinals of the ATP 500 tournament. The Spaniard was not in his characteristic rhythm in the first set of the match, struggling with double faults and unforced errors.
Despite these struggles, he managed to hold his serve throughout the set, forcing a tiebreak, which the Russian won comfortably.
In the next two sets, it was all Alcaraz’s show, as he dominated his opponent with near-perfect serves, landing bullet-like aces, leaving Khachanov without any answers to his dominance.
However, during the ninth game of the first set, when the score was 4-all with Alcaraz having an advantage, he received a time violation warning, which upset him.
He immediately protested against the decision and engaged in a heated argument with the chair umpire Čičak, who explained exactly what happened before he was ready to serve.
Even after the debate ended and the umpire refused to overturn the decision, Alcaraz was still heard shouting over the call, his frustration clearly visible. This caught the attention of the former WTA World No. 9, Petkovic, who had a clear and stern warning for the World No. 1.
She said, “It was a little strange. Also, maybe he doesn’t know Marija Čičak well. She’s mostly chair-umpired on the WTA side. We all know how strict she is. You don’t want to get into an argument with her. She will destroy you mentally and emotionally.”
Andrea Petkovic on Carlos Alcaraz’s argument with umpire Marija Cicak in Doha
“It seems so out of character from what we’re used to seeing from Carlos Alcaraz”
Petkovic: “It was a little strange. Also maybe he doesn’t know Marija Cicak well. She’s mostly chair umpired on the… pic.twitter.com/XiNHJSxCMc
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 19, 2026
These statements from the German were not meant to harm the umpire’s public image, it actually describe her way of officiating during matches.
Over the years, Čičak has earned a reputation for sticking to the rulebook to the letter, without any exception. Be it a tense match involving top players or any other scenario, she does not have a lenient approach while on the court.
WTA World No. 2 Iga Świątek received a similar time violation warning last year in the round of 16 match in Miami and described the incident later as “I respect Marija Čičak, she’s a great umpire. But overall she’s really strict with the rules, and she’s applying them always, looking at even, like, one second and everything.”
Alcaraz’s Protest Against the Serve Clock
Alcaraz has always been vocal in opposition to the serve clock, expressing frustration with the limited time allotted to the serving player.
Notably, during the Japan Open final, Alcaraz yelled at the chair umpire, Fergus Murphy, stating, “You have never played tennis in your life.”
This incident was again from the first set, when Alcaraz was trailing 2-3 against Taylor Fritz and expressed his frustration over the little time to rest.
During last year’s Queen’s Club Championships, the Spaniard engaged in a heated verbal battle with the chair umpire during his match against Jaume Munar.
The three-set match lasted nearly three and a half hours, exhausting both players physically, and when Alcaraz was given the warning, both players exploded at the umpire.
Right after this match, Alcaraz was called to the rule change meeting, where he clearly expressed his opposition to the clock, which takes away the match’s flexibility.
Alcaraz is now in the semifinals of the Qatar Open and is set to face the fifth seed of the tournament, Andrey Rublev, today, February 20.
The Spaniard is fresh off a historic 2026 Australian Open win, where he became the youngest player in men’s history to complete a career Grand Slam. He is yet to win a Qatar Open title and will be looking forward to lifting his first trophy in Doha.
