Carlos Alcaraz apologized on X for his actions during a second-round loss to Gaël Monfils at the Cincinnati Open on Friday during which he smashed his racket repeatedly early in the third set.
“I apologize because my attitude yesterday was not correct and it is something that should not be done on the track,” Alcaraz wrote on X. “I am 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 does not happen again. Time to think about NYC!”
Pido perdón porque mi actitud de ayer no fue correcta y es algo que no debería hacerse dentro de una pista. Soy humano, tenía acumulación de nervios dentro y a veces es muy complicado controlarse cuando estás con las pulsaciones tan altas. Trabajaré para que no vuelva a… pic.twitter.com/YR0dRJhTxX
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) August 17, 2024
The 21-year-old Alcaraz, who was playing in his first tournament since winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, was frustrated during his 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 loss to Monfils. The four-time Grand Slam winner could not hold back his emotions any longer and took it out on his racket.
“It never happened before, because I could control those feelings,” Alcaraz said. “Today, I couldn’t. I was feeling that I was not playing any kind of tennis. It was really frustrating for me. At some point, I didn’t want to be on the court anymore.”
Afterward, Alcaraz called it “worst match that I’ve ever played on my career” and is turning the page and looking towards the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 26.
“I’ve been practicing really well,” Alcaraz said. “I was feeling great. But I couldn’t play. I want to forget it and try to move on to New York.”
