By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday August 16, 2024
When Carlos Alcaraz walked onto Center Court in Cincinnati on Thursday, he needed only six points to eliminated Gael Monfils and continue his progress at the Cincinnati Open.
But things quickly changed when Monfils finished off the pair’s rain-suspeneded second-set tiebreak and proceeded to finish off Alcaraz in three sets, 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4.
It was ominous to watch the 21-year-old four-time major champion smash a racquet early in the third set. He was down a break and hoping to fire himself up, but it never happened.
“I don’t know what happened. I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t be better. So this match, it was impossible to win, and that’s all,” he told reporters.
“He desperately wants to win this match” 👀#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/QkiDhvNHtw
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 16, 2024
Worst match of my career
Alcaraz, who was defending runner up points in Cincinnati, went on to call his performance the worst of his career.
“tt was really tough for me,” he said. “I felt like it was the worst match that I’ve ever played in my career – couldn’t play, honestly. “I’ve been practicing really well at this tournament, the previous days. I was feeling great hitting the ball clear, moving well.”
The Spaniard, who won major titles at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon this year, before snagging a silver medal at the Olympic games in Paris, says the Center Court in Cincinnati was playing faster than he remembered, and it affected his performance.
“I felt like it was another sport playing on the center court than the other courts,” he said. “The balls were faster on the center court, bouncing much more than on the other courts. As I said honestly I came here thinking that I’m feeling good, that I’m going to [play] good tennis because I’m used to playing on this court. I know how to play on this court, but I felt like [it was a] totally different surface, a totally different sport.
“It was the worst match I have ever played in my career”
Alcaraz reflects on his tough loss to Monfils at #CincyTennis 🎙 pic.twitter.com/IWc1ddpsZc
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 16, 2024
Asked what the positives that he could take away from the early loss were, he had nothing to add.
“It’s kind of really difficult to find some good stuff from this match,” he said. “So I want to forget it, and try to move on to New York. I’ll go to New York and I’ll try to practise well, to get used to those…
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