Carlos Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, displayed uncharacteristic frustration at the 2024 Cincinnati Open during his match against Gael Monfils. The young tennis star, known for his calm demeanour, surprised many by repeatedly smashing his racket after failing to convert a break point. This outburst occurred as Alcaraz faced an early-round exit after losing the second set and falling behind in the third. Ultimately, Monfils secured an upset victory with a scoreline of 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
The match also sparked reactions from other players and commentators. While some lauded Alcaraz’s passion and determination to win, others highlighted the media’s perceived double standards in reacting to similar outbursts from different players. For instance, Corentin Moutet and Nick Kyrgios pointed out that players like themselves are often criticized more harshly for similar actions, suggesting bias in reporting such incidents.
“When I do it, I’ve got “mental issue,” Moutet said on ‘X.’ “I don’t judge Carlos here, of course. He is a legend already, and he behaves amazingly. I’m making fun of how the reaction of the commentator can be different on the same gesture.”
“Haha what about when I do it? Hahahahahaah,” Kyrgios replied.
“Goodness!” Laura Robson, the former British no.1 said. “When do you see that from him? That has properly shocked me. When was the last time he broke a racket? He has melted that thing.”
“When have you seen that before in the life of Carlos Alcaraz?” commentator Jonathan Overend asked. That’s almost like his whole career of frustration coming out in one split second.”
The match was initially interrupted by rain, leaving the players to resume their contest the following day. When play resumed, Alcaraz ranked No. 3 in the ATP rankings, struggled to regain his composure. Alcaraz later described this match as the worst of his career, expressing deep disappointment in his performance.
“I think it was the worst match I’ve played in my career. I couldn’t play, honestly. I felt like it was another sport playing on the center court than the other courts,” he said. “I think it is impossible to get any good things about this match. I’ve been practicing 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.”
Despite the disappointing loss, Alcaraz is now looking ahead to the U.S. Open, which begins on August 26, as an opportunity for redemption.
“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,” Alcaraz said. “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. 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.”
