Carlos Alcaraz still baffled at himself over shocking racquet-smashing act

Carlos Alcaraz is looking to reset and focus as he prepares for the upcoming US Open following a turbulent end to his summer season. After a successful run that included winning both the French Open and Wimbledon and securing a silver medal at the Olympics, Alcaraz faced a surprising defeat against Gael Monfils in the Cincinnati Open’s second round. Describing the match as the worst of his career, Alcaraz struggled to control his emotions, smashing his racket multiple times and visibly frustrated by his performance.
“I couldn’t play. Honestly, I’d been practicing really well,” Alcaraz said.”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. I couldn’t control myself.
Alcaraz’s unexpected loss came in his first hard-court match since March, spotlighting a challenging transition from his strong performances on clay and grass earlier in the summer. Despite practicing well before the game, Alcaraz could not replicate his form and struggled to adapt to the hard court, leading to his defeat. He acknowledged his difficulty finding any positives from the game and wanted to move past the setback quickly.
“It’s really difficult to find some good stuff from this match. So, I want to forget it and try to move on. I’ll go to New York and try to practise well, get used to those courts.”
Flushing Meadows holds special significance for him, as it was the site of his grand slam breakthrough in 2022 when he won his first major title as a teenager. With four grand slam titles to his name, Alcaraz is a strong contender despite his recent dip in form.
However, Alcaraz will face stiff competition from several top players, including Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. Djokovic, who outplayed Alcaraz to win gold at the Paris Olympics, has regained form after a disappointing start to the season. On the other hand, Sinner showed his strength on the hard court by winning the Cincinnati title. Other threats include Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, both strong competitors on hard courts.
Despite the challenges ahead, Alcaraz is determined to finish the season strong and aims to reclaim the world number one ranking by the end of the year. He is focused on playing great tennis and achieving consistent results in the remaining tournaments.
“I’m focused on going to every tournament, thinking about playing great tennis, doing a good result to get better in the race,” Alcaraz said. “Ending the year as number one is one of my main goals.”