Carlos Alcaraz could face a fine at the Cincinnati Open, but fans think the reasoning is totally unacceptable.
Alcaraz captured his 50th ATP Tour win in Cincinnati and followed it up by reaching the quarter-finals of the competition.
The World No. 2 defeated Luca Nardi in straight sets to set up a last-eight meeting with Andrey Rublev at the Cincinnati Open.
Alcaraz’s straightforward win wasn’t without its issues, however, and the Spaniard could be picking up a fine from the tournament.
Fans complain as Carlos Alcaraz is reprimanded for not covering up his water bottles
The umpire took issue with Alcaraz using an Evian water bottle in Cincinnati as the water company are not the tournament sponsors.
The Spaniard refused to cover up his bottle as the pair argued in a break of play between Alcaraz and Nardi.
“What was this about?” asked one fan on social media, before adding: “Since when did players or anyone have to remove labels or anything? American execs making up bulls—.”
“What’s the point of reusable water bottles if you can’t use them at the next tournament because of sponsor changes?” said another.
“I know money rules everything in tennis, but this was so damn stupid and inconvenient. Alcaraz was right!”
Alcaraz will very likely pick up a fine from the tournament, which won’t make his legion of fans very happy at all.
Carlos Alcaraz’s route to the Cincinnati Open final
Alcaraz’s meeting with Rublev in Cincinnati will be their fifth match on the ATP Tour, with the Spaniard picking up three wins.
If the World No. 2 defeats the Russian star in the quarter-finals, a likely meeting with Alexander Zverev or Ben Shelton will take place in the final four.
A repeat of the Wimbledon and Roland Garros final looks all but set between Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz in the finals.
Alcaraz plays Rublev on August 15, with the order of play yet to be announced by the tournament organisers.