"Great timing, great balance, great guy" - Chris Evert hilariously reacts to Carlos Alcaraz smashing his racket during Cincinnati Open 2R loss
American former World No. 1 tennis player Chris Evert recently slammed Carlos Alcaraz for smashing the racket. Alcaraz, the World No. 1 in men's singles, faced an unexpected defeat from French tennis star Gaël Monfils, in the second round of Cincinnati Open 2024.
Fresh off his men's singles silver win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 21-year-old aimed to add another title at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Gaël Sébastien Monfils of France ousted the Spaniard in the first round 4-6, 7(7)-6(5), 6-4.
Already leading with 3-1 in a second-set tie-break, Monfils resumed play after 24 hours in the rain-delayed match. He toppled Carlos Alcaraz over with 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, and became the oldest player to defeat an ATP-ranked opponent since Jimmy Connor did it in 1992.
Alcaraz, unable to register the loss, smashed his racket repeatedly. His unusual display of emotion caught the attention of tennis enthusiasts, including Chris Evert. The 69-year-old former World No. 1 hilariously slammed the youngster, saying:
"You’re right! Great timing, Great balance, Great guy!" she wrote on her X handle.
Carlos Alcaraz had dominant wins in the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon, lifting his third and fourth major titles in 2024. On August 4, the World No. 1 clashed against World No. 2 in the Paris Olympics men's singles finals.
In a thrilling round, Novak Djokovic lifted the gold with 7(7)-6(3), 7(7)-6(2) and completing the career Golden Slam. Alcaraz won silver in his maiden Olympic appearance.
Carlos Alcaraz apologized for smashing his racket at the 2024 Cincinnati Open
Alcaraz's behavior stunned the crowd present at the Linder Family Tennis Center. His unanticipated loss landed him at the mouth of backlash from the tennis community and fans, prompting him to apologize on the social platform.
He took to his Instagram handle to write:
"I want to apologise for my attitude yesterday, it was not good and that should not happen on court. I’m human, the nerves had accumulated and sometimes it’s very tough to control when there is that tension. I will work so that it doesn’t happen again," his caption read.
In a post-match press conference, Alcaraz shared the reason behind his racket smash was his below-par performance.
"Today, I couldn’t control myself, because, as I said, I was feeling that I was not playing any kind of tennis … I think some players, a lot of players, during their careers and during some certain moments, they can’t control themselves. And it was one of the moments for me," he said. (via CNN)
The 2024 US Open, slated for next week in New York City, will witness Carlos Alcaraz competing for his third consecutive Grand Slam title.