"Arrogance him & Iga Swiatek show is disgusting";"0 credit to Gael Monfils" - Fans decry Carlos Alcaraz's 'self-centered' take on Cincinnati Open loss
Carlos Alcaraz's take on his shock defeat to Gael Monfils in the second round of the 2024 Cincinnati Open hasn't resonated well with tennis fans. Many of them lambasted the Spaniard for not giving Monfils the credit he deserved and drew an unfavorable comparison to Iga Swiatek.
Alcaraz's hopes of clinching the ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati ended in his opening match, as he suffered a surprising 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 loss to Monfils after a two-hour and 30-minute battle. The Spaniard was visibly frustrated over his struggles in the contest, smashing his racket in an uncharacteristic display of anger.
The 21-year-old's annoyance boiled over into his post-match press conference, as he deemed the loss the "worst match" he has ever played. The Spaniard also highlighted the faster balls and increased bounce on the court as factors contributing to his loss.
"It was really, really tough for me, I feel like it was the worst match that I have ever played in my career. Couldn't play, honestly," Carlos Alcaraz said.
"I've been practicing really well in this tournament. The previous days I was feeling great, hitting the ball clear, moving well. Probably I felt like it was another sport playing on the center court than the other courts. The balls were faster on the center courts, bounce much, much more than other courts," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz's comments, which failed to acknowledge Gael Monfils' stellar performance, drew backlash from fans. Several of them lashed out at the four-time Grand Slam champion for seemingly lacking respect for his opponents and not displaying "class" in defeat.
"Zero credit to Gael Monfils, a great player…Alcaraz must learn that to loose with class and sportsmanship it’s much more important than knowing how to win…A player who is claiming the number one position in the world for himself must learn to give credit to his opponents," one fan posted.
"Booo. How about a nice Congratulations to Monfils?!!? You are disappointing when you lose. Show some respect for other players," another fan commented.
"It wasn’t the surface, it was all #Monfils. Give credit where credit is due! @carlosalcaraz," a fan chimed in.
With Iga Swiatek similarly coming under fire for making "excuses" for her third-round exit at Wimbledon 2024, one fan slammed the duo for their "arrogant" and "self-centered" conduct after losses.
"The arrogance him and iga showcase after every loss is disgusting… Were you the only one on the court? Can’t you just admit that your opponent was better than you today? Everything HAS to be about them, can’t even take things into perspective. So self centered," one fan wrote.
"Not necessarily his worst match. Monfils just outplayed him and he doesn’t wanna admit it," another fan remarked.
"Know he’s mad but damn should’ve gave monfils his credit," said another.
"This is actually so disrespectful to Gael!" one fan commented.
"It's impossible to get any good things about this match" - Carlos Alcaraz after Cincinnati Open 2R loss to Gael Monfils
During the same press conference, Carlos Alcaraz admitted that, although he expected himself to be familiar with the court conditions at the Cincinnati Open, he felt like playing on an entirely different surface.
The 21-year-old also disclosed that he found it "impossible" to glean any positive takeaways from his loss to Gael Monfils.
"As I said honestly I came here thinking that, I'm going to feel good, I'm going to put a good tennis because I'm used to playing in this court, I know how to play on this court, but I felt like totally different surfaces, totally different sport," Carlos Alcaraz said.
"And yeah, it couldn't happen so, but my mindset and my feeling is I'm ready to win in every tournament that I go. I think it's impossible to get any good things about this match," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz will be back in action at the 2024 US Open, where he will commence his quest for his third Grand Slam title of the season and pursue his goal of ending the year as the World No. 1.