Carlos Alcaraz offered some brutal comments about his performance following his surprising loss to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open on Friday.
Alcaraz and Monfils were in a second set tiebreaker with Alcaraz up a set when the match was suspended Thursday night due to rain. When play resumed on Friday, Monfils, who was leading 3-1 in the tiebreaker, went on to win the tiebreaker and third set to claim victory in the second-round match 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
Alcaraz, who received a bye in the first round, expressed rare outbursts of frustration during his loss Friday. He received a code violation for smashing his racquet on the court several times.
Code violation warning for racket abuse for Carlos Alcaraz as he smashes his racket on the floor when Gael Monfils holds for 3-1. Rare to see Carlos this frustrated. pic.twitter.com/dJkAwjyvcN
— edgeAI (@edgeaiofficial) August 16, 2024
After his defeat, Alcaraz was in no better of a mood. The 21-year-old said he thought it was the “worst match” of his career.
“I felt like it was the worst match that I’ve ever played in my career,” Alcaraz vented. “I’ve been practicing really well. I was feeling great. But I couldn’t play.”
Carlos Alcaraz after his loss to Gael Monfils:
“I think it was the worst match I’ve played in my career. I couldn’t play honestly. I felt like it was another sport playing on center court than the other courts…”
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 16, 2024
Alcaraz is coming off consecutive major wins, which he captured at the French Open and then Wimbledon. The four-time major winner will now turn his attention to the US Open, which begins on August 26 in New York.
