A retired tennis umpire revealed that Carlos Alcaraz approached him during a flight (Image: Getty)
A retired tennis umpire has revealed that 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 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. even dedicated .
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.
Carlos Bernardes ended his 40-year officiating career in November (Image: Getty)
Just in
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
“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 .
“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.”
While the days on-site can be long for an umpire, Bernardes always made time to visit the cities he was working in.
“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,” he explained.
“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.”