At the Qatar Open, Carlos Alcaraz blasted tennis authorities after being penalized simply for grabbing his towel, later voicing the same concerns to the ATP at the Indian Wells Open. Now at Tennis Paradise, the narrative flipped as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina erupted despite beating Jakub Menšík 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, accusing the Czech of repeated time-wasting without punishment.

The Spaniard started the match strongly. He dominated the first set and looked completely in control. Menšík was clearly struggling early in the match. The Czech player appeared to suffer respiratory issues. Reports suggested he had symptoms of a cold. Medical staff even checked on him during the contest.

Despite the situation, Davidovich remained focused at first. He played aggressive tennis and dictated most rallies. His early dominance gave him confidence. However, the second set changed the flow of the match. Davidovich led 4-3 with a break advantage. At that moment, the momentum suddenly shifted.

Frustration began to grow for the Spaniard. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was seen complaining to the umpire about Jakub Mensik taking too long between points without a time violation at 4-3.

During the discussion with the umpire, Davidovich expressed strong frustration. “He’s running from side to side.” He continued by saying, “He asked me to stop 40 times, and you didn’t set the clock.”

His frustration did not stop there. “I have never seen anything like it in my life. I am going to report this, just so you know.” The Spaniard felt the time rules were not being applied.

Davidovich had not faced a single break point until he served at 4-3. Then everything changed quickly. He lost four straight games, and the set ended 4-6. After the set, Mensik briefly left the court for a toilet break. The emotional tension was clear. The match had become far more complicated.

At one point in the second set, he waited to serve while the clock had already expired. Meanwhile, Menšík was still circling around on his side of the court. The situation clearly irritated Davidovich.

Some unforced errors followed. The Spaniard seemed distracted by the situation and the thought that his opponent might be exaggerating physical problems. This allowed Menšík to take control temporarily.

The match eventually moved into a deciding set. Davidovich regained his focus and controlled the play again. He opened the set with a break but soon faced pressure at 0-40.

He managed to save those break points. Then he pushed hard on the return to break once more. That second break proved decisive and secured the victory. Next, Davidovich will face Learner Tien in the following round. The American youngster had earlier shocked Ben Shelton with a 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 win. 

And perhaps for Davidovich, disputes with umpires over time-related issues remain a recurring theme in his career.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina halts play after Australian Open time violation

At last year’s Australian Open, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina faced Felix Auger-Aliassime in a dramatic and exhausting battle.

The match turned into a marathon contest. The score stood at 2-3 in the final set when the umpire issued him a time violation. The call immediately angered the Spaniard.

Davidovich Fokina walked toward the chair umpire and argued the decision. His frustration quickly became clear on the court. Soon after, he refused to continue playing. The match had already lasted four hours and 37 minutes.

Earlier in the night, the match had even been moved to another court. A rowdy crowd from a nearby match had disrupted play. Despite the long delay and exhaustion, Davidovich Fokina initially refused to budge. A second official eventually stepped in to calm the situation.

Another tense moment came against Jakub Menšík at the Eastbourne Open last year. Davidovich Fokina had just fallen 5-4 behind in the second set. In frustration, he smashed his racquet on the floor.

The chair umpire quickly issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. That decision only fueled his anger. During the changeover, he strongly protested the call. He insisted the racquet had landed outside the baseline. “Call the supervisor, I don’t accept that warning.”

Moments later, he continued his outburst toward the umpire. His frustration was clear to everyone watching. “You’re the worst umpire I have seen. The worst. I don’t know how you can sit there. I threw it three times, and you didn’t say nothing.”

He kept defending his actions. “I did it outside, outside the baseline. Video review it. Why did you put a warning? It was outside the baseline.” ATP supervisor Jerry Armstrong was then called to the court. He explained that throwing a racquet on grass was not allowed.

After some time, Davidovich Fokina finally cooled down. He regained focus and returned to playing strong tennis.

Now, his emotions have again surfaced during the BNP Paribas Open. His next challenge comes against Learner Tien. It will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure against the American.