Carlos Alcaraz apologized Saturday for smashing his racket during his loss to Gael Monfils in the Cincinnati Open’s Round of 32.
After dropping the fourth game of the third set Friday, and after being tied with Monfils at one set apiece, Alcaraz slammed his racket into the ground four times — causing it to twist and lose its original shape.
“I apologize because my attitude yesterday was not correct and it is something that should not be done on the track,” Alcaraz wrote in his apology on X, according to a translated version. “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!”
Alcaraz, one of the top active tennis players in the world and previously ranked No. 1, told reporters after his 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 loss to Monfils that Friday felt like “the worst match that I’ve ever played.”
He earned a bye through the Round of 64 and into the Round of 32, but Alcaraz, who has already won four Grand Slam titles entering the U.S. Open that starts Aug. 26, couldn’t advance further than that.
“I’ve been practicing really well,” Alcaraz told reporters after his loss. “I was feeling great. But I couldn’t play. I want to forget it and try to move on to New York.”
It has, for the most part, been a successful calendar year for Alcaraz.
After losing to Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open quarterfinals, he defeated Zverev in five sets to take the French Open title and followed that up with a victory over Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon.
He also advanced to the gold medal match in the 2024 Olympics, but Djokovic topped Alcaraz in straight sets — forcing the 21-year-old from Spain to settle for a silver medal.
While the draw for the U.S. Open hasn’t been revealed yet, Alcaraz will again enter the tournament as one of the top seeds.
Last year, he lost just one set across the first five rounds before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.
