Alcaraz on Loss to Monfils: Worst of My Career

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday August 16, 2024

When Carlos Alcaraz walked onto Heart Court docket in Cincinnati on Thursday, he wanted solely six factors to eradicated Gael Monfils and proceed his progress on the Cincinnati Open.

However issues shortly modified when Monfils completed off the pair’s rain-suspeneded second-set tiebreak and proceeded to complete off Alcaraz in three units, 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4.

It was ominous to look at the 21-year-old four-time main champion smash a racquet early within the third set. He was down a break and hoping to fireplace himself up, but it surely by no means occurred.

“I do not know what occurred. I could not management myself. I could not be higher. So this match, it was not possible to win, and that is all,” he informed reporters.

“He desperately desires to win this match” 👀#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/QkiDhvNHtw

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 16, 2024

Worst match of my profession

Alcaraz, who was defending runner up factors in Cincinnati, went on to name his efficiency the worst of his profession.

“tt was actually robust for me,” he mentioned. “I felt prefer it was the worst match that I’ve ever performed in my profession – couldn’t play, actually. “I’ve been training very well at this event, the earlier days. I used to be feeling nice hitting the ball clear, shifting nicely.”

The Spaniard, who received main titles at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon this yr, earlier than snagging a silver medal on the Olympic video games in Paris, says the Heart Court docket in Cincinnati was taking part in sooner than he remembered, and it affected his efficiency.

“I felt prefer it was one other sport taking part in on the middle court docket than the opposite courts,” he mentioned. “The balls had been sooner on the middle court docket, bouncing far more than on the opposite courts. As I mentioned actually I got here right here considering that I’m feeling good, that I’m going to [play] good tennis as a result of I’m used to taking part in on this court docket. I understand how to play on this court docket, however I felt like [it was a] completely completely different floor, a very completely different sport.

“It was the worst match I’ve ever performed in my profession”

Alcaraz displays on his robust loss to Monfils at #CincyTennis 🎙 pic.twitter.com/IWc1ddpsZc

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 16, 2024

Requested what the positives that he may take away from the early loss had been, he had nothing so as to add.

“It is sort of actually troublesome to seek out some great things from this match,” he mentioned. “So I wish to neglect it, and attempt to transfer on to New York. I am going to go to New York and I am going to attempt to practise nicely, to get used to these courts. And I’ll neglect this match, as a result of I feel it’s not possible to get any good issues about this match.”