After the Olympics, Alcaraz was upset with the defeat in the Cincinnati Open, broke his racket in anger
Carlos Alcaraz, Cincinnati Open 2024: The match was interrupted due to rain and Alcaraz fell behind in the tie-break of the second set, but 37-year-old Monfils took advantage of the rain and won the last two sets to force Alcaraz to face defeat.
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz was left incensed—and his racket thoroughly smashed—during a Cincinnati Open defeat to France's Gael Monfils. Four-time Grand Slam champion Spain's Alcaraz first lost to Monfils 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. Losing a point to his rival Monfils, Alcaraz smashed his racket on the ground many times and broke it.
Rain suspended the match during the evening, and Alcaraz had lost the second set tie-break, but Monfils used the rain to his good fortune, winning the last two sets and handing Alcaraz defeat.
He would later say of his performance that it was the "worst match". Alcaraz admitted afterward, "I felt that this was the worst match of my career so far. I trained very well; I felt very good, but I could not play. I want to forget it."
Alcaraz was first in the crushing form, winning the first set against Monfils before he chanced his hand when the rain intervened. With a mini-break in that tiebreak, Monfils sensed his chance. As play resumed on Friday, conditions were now favored on Monfils to pin Alcaraz on his knees, this in the decisive third set as he broke Alcaraz early on serve. Just to mark in your calendar, the US Open is going to take place on the 26th of August, so that is the next chance for Alcaraz to regain his form.
