Carlos Alcaraz voiced frustration over a time violation warning during his quarterfinal at the Doha ExxonMobil Open after an extended rally with Karen Khachanov. The world No. 1 had just outfoxed his No. 7th-seeded rival at the net and was serving at 4-4 in the first set when the dispute occurred.

Umpire Marija Cicak issued the warning after Alcaraz exceeded the 25 seconds meant to be taken between points. As the player walked to the back of the court to retrieve his towel, Cicak said she had reset the clock only after that action, prompting Alcaraz to question the ruling on court.

“I’m not allowed to go to the towel?” asked an incredulous world No. 1. The pair continued to debate the matter during the changeover, with Alcaraz requesting that the violation be canceled. He was playing his first tournament since capturing the Career Grand Slam at the 2026 Australian Open.

Cicak remained firm in her explanation. “I can’t invent more time,” explained Cicak. The exchange highlighted the tight timing rules that govern the interval between points and the limited discretion officials have once a clock has been managed.

The incident came at a pivotal moment in the opening set and drew attention for its timing, occurring immediately after one of the match’s longer rallies. Alcaraz’s reaction was a rare public display of frustration in a match where he had just successfully used the net to win a point against a seeded opponent. The warning stood, and the players resumed play following the changeover and the discussion on court.

Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur have officially committed to the ninth Laver Cup at The O2 in London, scheduled for September 25-27, 2026. Zverev will represent Team Europe and de Minaur will play for Team World, joining Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz on their respective rosters.

“I always love being part of the Laver Cup,” said Zverev in a release provided by the competition. “The team atmosphere is incredible, and the intensity is unlike anything else we play all year. London is a great tennis city and The O2 is one of the most special stadiums in the world for me and has already delivered some unforgettable moments for this event. I’m excited to return and hopefully we can win the title back for Team Europe.”

Zverev will make a seventh appearance for Team Europe. A six-time Laver Cup competitor and the event’s all-time leading points scorer, he returns to London after last year’s defeat in San Francisco, the first Laver Cup loss of his career. His record includes title-winning teams in Prague (2017), Chicago (2018), Geneva (2019), Boston (2021) and Berlin (2024). Zverev also has a notable history at The O2, where he won the ATP Finals in 2018, and he arrives off a strong start to 2026 that included an Australian Open semifinal loss to teammate Carlos Alcaraz.

“Sascha understands this competition as well as anyone,” said Noah. “He’s been part of all of Team Europe’s Laver Cup victories over the years, and even in tough moments he’s someone the team can rely on. His experience, leadership and competitiveness will be hugely important for us as we aim to win back the cup.”

Team World’s top-ranked player and winner of last week’s ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, de Minaur will compete in his third Laver Cup. He was part of Team World’s first title in London in 2022 and was influential in San Francisco last year, winning all three of his matches to help secure another victory for Team World.

“Laver Cup is one of the most intense and exciting weeks on the calendar,” added De Minaur. “Playing in London in 2022 was a special moment for our team, and San Francisco showed what this group is capable of. I loved playing under Andre last year and I’m really looking forward to getting back out there in London with him and the team.”

“Alex is a fierce competitor and the consummate professional,” said Agassi. “Our week together in San Francisco gave me an even greater appreciation for him and what he brings to the team. I’m extremely excited to have him back as a part of Team World.”

With Team World taking three of the last four titles, the rivalry will return to London, the site of Roger Federer’s final match in 2022 alongside Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Fans can expect intense singles, unusual doubles pairings and top players joining forces in a team format.

Frances Tiafoe’s Delray Beach Open opener began with an unusual delay when chair umpire Joshua Brace stepped down from his seat to advise that the American’s shirt breached ATP logo rules. Tiafoe, the No. 8 seed, was wearing lululemon’s Ventilated Sleeveless Tennis Shirt in black, which carried the lululemon emblem on the left chest and two stacked logos on the right chest for UKG and Barclays.

As officials examined the issue the crowd grew loud, booing while staff sought a remedy. A ball kid brought a black marker and Brace used it to cover the offending logo, a simple fix that allowed play to proceed. Tiafoe laughed and asked what he should do about the rest of his shirts. He packed spare shirts into a bag, sent it to his team with the marker, and had them black out the Barclays logo on each one.

According to the ATP rulebook : “If sleeveless, then two logo positions may be placed on the front, however neither shall exceed 6 sq in (3 sq cm).” The same marker solution has been used before: last year at Roland Garros Hailey Baptiste was stopped because the Nike logo on her headband was too large and an umpire covered it with a black marker.

Tiafoe became an official brand ambassador for Lululemon in January 2025 after previously wearing Nike, and he competes in K-Swiss shoes. Once the clothing issue was settled the 28-year-old required just 73 minutes to defeat qualifier Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 6-4 and advance to the second round, improving his record at the tournament to 12–4.

“I’m happy, I’m happy. Really happy about it. I thought I played pretty well tonight,” Tiafoe said in his on-court interview. “Thanks everybody for coming out. It’s nice to have another home tournament.”