"Damn... someone is pissed off" - Boris Becker reacts to Carlos Alcaraz smashing his racket in rare display of anger during Cincinnati Open 2R loss
Former World No. 1 Boris Becker recently reacted to Carlos Alcaraz's rare display of anger during his second-round match against Gael Monfils at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. Alcaraz's emotions got the better of him in the third set, leading him to smash the racket in anger before eventually losing the match.
The Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati marked Alcaraz's first hard-court tournament since the Miami Open held in March and also his only warm-up event ahead of the 2024 US Open. However, it was a challenging outing, as he fell to Monfils 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, in a second-round match that spanned two days due to rain interruption.
The Spaniard was 2-1 down in the final set and failed to break Monfils' serve. Consequently, Alcaraz, who is typically known for his composure, let his frustration boil over, smashing his racket on the court multiple times until it shattered.
Watch the video shared by Tennis TV below:
The clip later prompted a reaction from six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker, who also noted Alcaraz's frustration.
"Damn …someone is pissed off …" Becker wrote on X.
As per the recent update, Gael Monfils faced Holger Rune in the third round of the Masters 1000 event but eventually lost the match 6-3, 3-6. 4-6.
"I felt like it was the worst match that I ever played in my career": Carlos Alcaraz after the match
Reflecting on his performance after the match, Carlos Alcaraz admitted he felt it was his worst match ever as he struggled despite good practice and previous form.
“I felt like it was the worst match that I ever played in my career, couldn't play. Honestly, I've been practising really well here in this tournament. The previous days, I was feeling great, hitting the ball clear, moving well. I don't know what happened. I don't know how I felt like this, but I couldn't control myself. I couldn't be better. So this match, it was impossible to win,” Alcaraz told the media.
The 21-year-old further added that he "wanted to break" his racket, something he had never done before as he usually managed his emotions better during matches.
“I felt sometimes that I wanted to break the racquet. It never happened before, because I could control myself in those situations, in those feelings,Most of the time I could control myself and it could go better in the matches or in the situation that I've been feeling before," he added.
Alcaraz's next appearance will be at the 2024 US Open, where he won two years ago. The tournament starts on Monday, August 26.