FRENCH OPEN 2024: STEFANOS TSITSIPAS COMPLAINS TO UMPIRE ABOUT ‘EXTENDED GRUNT’ FROM CARLOS ALCARAZ IN QUARTER-FINAL

Stefanos Tsitsipas was not happy with an “extended grunt” from Carlos Alcaraz during their French Open quarter-final clash on Tuesday. Tsitsipas was trailing in the second-set tie-break when Alcaraz made a loud noise before Tsitsipas struck his return shot into the net. Tsitsipas complained to the umpire twice about the incident, saying that it was “a little bit borderline too much”.

Alcaraz’s grunt appeared to disturb Tsitsipas, who complained about it to the chair umpire at the change of ends.

“When I’m about to hit the shot, there is an extended grunt,” he said.

“The grunt is extended. It’s like a millisecond before I hit it.”

His complaints were met with boos and whistles from the crowd inside Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“That’s a loud grunt,” John McEnroe said on Eurosport commentary.

“I knew he was going to say that. He made the point but he’s going to lose some crowd support, so is it worth it?

“I get it though, because it did seem like it was a long grunt, but it’s not the first time Carlos has done it. You’ve got to be used to that.”

Once Alcaraz had won the tie-break to take a commanding two-set lead, Tsitsipas spoke to the umpire about the matter again, calling the grunt “borderline too much”.

He added: “It’s more that it happened when I was about to hit that forehand down the line, remember?” There, it happened more.

“Before it was manageable, but that last forehand was a little bit borderline too much.”