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Carlos Alcaraz confronted tennis umpire during flight to his next tournament

A retired tennis umpire has revealed that Carlos Alcaraz jokingly confronted him on a flight last year. Carlos Bernardes spent 40 years officiating the game before calling time on his career at the end of 2024.

The Brazilian has now shared some secrets from his decades on the tour, including his hilarious in-flight encounter with Alcaraz. Bernardes was travelling from the Rio Open to the ATP 500 event in Acapulco when the four-time Major winner spotted him on the plane and came over to ask a burning question.

Bernardes officially retired from the tennis umpiring circuit at the end of last season. His final match came during the Davis Cup final tie between Italy and the Netherlands in November when he sat in the chair for Matteo Berrettini’s clash with Botic van de Zandschulp.

The 60-year-old became a popular face during his years on the tour. Before he retired in 2024, several players approached him with kind words ahead of his last match. Jannik Sinner even dedicated part of his ATP Finals victory speech to Bernardes.

But Bernardes had an unusual encounter with one player while travelling between tournaments last season. The Brazilian recently opened up on his time on the circuit, explaining that he racked up so many air miles that he could fly business class.

It was something that surprised Alcaraz, who approached Bernardes when he spotted the umpire travelling in style during the Latin American swing.

“I have flown more than six million miles with various airlines, I have a few points on my loyalty card and a lot of experience,” Bernardes told Corriere.

“Last year, on the trip from Rio to Acapulco, I flew in business class, so Alcaraz approached me and said to me in a friendly way, ‘How come an umpire flies in business and I fly in economy?’”

However, Bernardes didn’t always have access to luxury travel. When he became an official ATP umpire in 1992, his arrangements weren’t as glamorous.

The 60-year-old added: “At my first tournament in Miami in 1992, I earned $100 a day. We shared a room with five officials to save money. But it was the beginning.”