I would have felt guilty if I hadn’t said anything," Alcaraz says about the point he gave to Shelton during his round of 16 match

© AFP

Jules Hypolite

le 02/06/2025 à 00h22

1 min to read

Alcaraz Roland Garros Shelton

Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros by defeating Ben Shelton on Sunday.

During the match, the world No. 2 and defending champion displayed exceptional sportsmanship. At 30-30 in the first game of the second set, he hit a winning volley after tossing his racket—a spectacular shot, except the racket was no longer in his hand at the moment of impact.

The chair umpire and Shelton didn’t notice the detail, but Alcaraz did and chose to concede the point to his opponent. He explained the moment in his post-match press conference:

"I could have stayed quiet, but I would have felt guilty if I hadn’t said anything. I knew I’d made an illegal shot. I had to be honest with myself, with Ben, and with everyone. That’s how sports should be. You have to be fair to your opponent and to yourself.

I knew it was a shot that wasn’t allowed and that the point shouldn’t have been mine.

Earlier in the first set, something similar happened with Ben too. One of his serves clipped the net, and the umpire didn’t see it. He told me, ‘We can replay it if you want.’ It’s all about mutual respect.