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Carlos Bernardes was travelling to Acapulco for the ATP 500 event when he had the hilarious interaction with Carlos Alcaraz.
When Carlos Alcaraz Confronted Ex-ATP Official For Flying In Business Class: ‘I Fly In Economy’
A retired tennis umpire has opened up about being confronted by Carlos Alcaraz while travelling on the same flight last year. Carlos Bernardes drew curtains on his 40-year-long career at the end of 2024, having officiated many major tournaments. He last appeared in the Davis Cup final between the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp and Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in November. After completing the Rio Open, Bernardes was travelling to Acapulco for the ATP 500 event when he had a hilarious interaction with Alcaraz. The former referee was seated in business class, which apparently shocked the Spanish tennis star.
“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. 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?’” Bernardes told Italian outlet Corriere della Sera.
The Brazilian further revealed that he didn’t have access to luxury travel during the early phase of his career. He made his official debut as an ATP official in 1992 when their benefits were quite minimal.
“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,” Bernardes shared.
Despite the hectic schedule and other challenges, Bernardes loved his job. When travelling to new cities, he made sure to visit the prominent tourist places there. “There are many former colleagues who spent all their time between the courts and hotels, I tried to get to know the local cultures and visited the cities,” the 60-year-old said.
“Depending on the matches, I booked visits to monuments and I can say that I spent more time in New York, Paris and Rome than in Sao Caetano, the place where I was born,” he added.
Having been on the sidelines of several tour events, Bernardes shares a good bond with many international stars. Some of them personally met Bernardes before his retirement. Even Jannik Sinner, after winning the ATP Finals, paid tribute to Bernardes in his victory speech.
