Carlos Alcaraz apologizes for unusual racquet incident at Cincinnati Open
World number three Carlos Alcaraz has publicly apologized for his outburst during the Cincinnati Open match against Gael Monfils. The 21-year-old Spanish tennis sensation displayed an unusual level of frustration by smashing his racquet multiple times on the court. This incident occurred during the third set of a grueling match that concluded with a scoreline of 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in favor of Monfils.
Alcaraz acknowledges inappropriate behavior, vows improvement
Following his defeat, Alcaraz took to social media on Saturday to express remorse for his conduct during the match. He admitted that his behavior was inappropriate and pledged to better manage his emotions in future games. "I apologize because my attitude yesterday was not correct and it is something that should not be done on the track," he wrote.
Alcaraz's defeat follows Olympic success
Alcaraz returned to the court after winning the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He was narrowly defeated by Novak Djokovic in the gold-medal clash. This loss was particularly disappointing for him, following his appearance in last year's Cincinnati final. Djokovic reigned supreme there as well. In a post-match interview, Alcaraz described his performance as the "worst match" of his career so far.
Monfils overcame Alcaraz in rain-delayed match
In a thrilling turn of events at the Cincinnati Open, Monfils emerged victorious over Alcaraz. The match was initially delayed due to rain, with Monfils leading 3-1 in a second-set tie-break. However, he resumed play 24 hours later and secured a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory. This win made Monfils the oldest player to defeat a top-three ATP-ranked opponent since Jimmy Connors's triumph over Michael Stich in Memphis in 1992.
