Carlos Alcaraz has revealed that even he fell foul of Wimbledon’s strict rules (Image: Getty)
Carlos Alcaraz has become the prince of Wimbledon. Aged just 21, the Spaniard lifted the title two years in a row, beating Novak Djokovic in both finals. But even two-time champions aren’t exempt from the All England Club’s strict rules.
Players must compete in an all-white kit when playing on the club’s hallowed courts. And Alcaraz learned that the hard way, when he was told off and warned that he wouldn’t be allowed to play his next match if a banned colour was on show.
The current world No. 3 gave fans a unique insight into his 2024 season in his new Netflix docuseries My Way. It was a year of highs and lows – Alcaraz suffered heartbreak in the Olympic gold medal match and lost early at the US Open.
But he completed the Channel Slam by winning the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back. Alcaraz let the Netflix cameras follow him during his title defence at SW19 last summer, and he revealed that he got into some trouble at the All England Club.
The four-time Grand Slam champion loves Wimbledon’s history and tradition, though he has fallen foul of the stringent rules himself.
“I think Wimbledon is one of the most elegant tournaments in the world, if not the most elegant one, be it for its prestige or its rules. You can’t step onto the court unless you’re dressed in all white,” he said.
Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon in 2023 and again in 2024 (Image: Getty)
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Remembering his own past experience, Alcaraz added: “I was wearing colour briefs and you could see them through my shorts, and they called me out on them, saying, ‘Next time, we won’t let you play.’
“I mean, this really goes to show you just how strict they can be!”
The world No. 3 has since learned to play by the rules at Wimbledon and become a dominant force at the tournament. He beat seven-time champion Djokovic in a thrilling five-set final in 2023.
Then, a year later, Alcaraz dominated in a replay of the championship match, winning in straight sets.
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“I started the final really strong, I was focused,” he recalled. “I knew exactly what to do. I did everything the same way, following the same pattern. Not once did I let him trip me up.”
Things got tricky when Alcaraz blew three championship points when serving for the title but he managed to get the job done in a tiebreak.
The Spaniard will return to SW19 this summer looking for a hat-trick of trophies. His last loss at Wimbledon came in 2022, when he reached the fourth round and was beaten by Jannik Sinner.
