"My attitude was not correct" - Carlos Alcaraz apologizes for smashing racket during Cincinnati Open loss, vows not to repeat it
Carlos Alcaraz apologized for his outburst during his second-round loss to Gael Monfils at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. The young Spaniard smashed his racket in a moment of frustration.
Alcaraz was the runner-up at Cincinnati in 2023, losing to Novak Djokovic in the final. He entered the tournament this year fresh off winning a silver medal in men's singles at the Paris Olympics. However, his run was short-lived as unseeded Gael Monfils defeated him 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 on August 16.
The World No. 3, increasingly frustrated as the match slipped away, smashed his racket against the court several times, distorting the frame while the stunned crowd watched. This took place when the Frenchman consolidated a break in the third set, shortly before booking a spot in the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz has since apologized on X (formerly Twitter), acknowledging that his attitude was "not correct." He admitted he struggled to control his nerves and promised not to let it happen again while expressing his excitement for the upcoming US Open (August 26-September 8).
"I apologize because my attitude yesterday was not correct and it is something that should not be done on the track. I am a human, I had a lot of nerves inside and sometimes it is very difficult to control yourself when your heart rate is so high. I will work so that it doesn't happen again. Time to think about NYC!" the 21-year-old wrote (translated from Spanish).
Carlos Alcaraz on his Cincinnati Open 2024 2R loss: "The worst match I have ever played"
Carlos Alcaraz spoke to the press after his second-round loss to Gael Monfils at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard expressed deep frustration with his performance and called it the "worst match" of his career.
"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," the 21-year-old said.
He added:
"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. I think it's impossible to get any good things about this match."
Alcaraz's attention will now focus on the US Open where he won his maiden Major in 2022 and will look to add one more to his collection of four.