Top-ranked men's tennis star Carlos Alcaraz slammed his racket on the court multiple times, destroying it in the process, during Friday's second round singles match at center court of the Cincinnati Open against Frenchman Gael Monfils.
It happened in the third and deciding set after Alcaraz split the first two sets with Monfils. As Monfils took a 3-1 lead in the third set, Alcaraz absolutely lost it.
Code violation warning for racket abuse for Carlos Alcaraz as he smashes his racket on the floor when Gael Monfils holds for 3-1. Rare to see Carlos this frustrated. pic.twitter.com/dJkAwjyvcN
— edgeAI (@edgeaiofficial) August 16, 2024
Alcaraz is not known for having a temper, unlike other players on the ATP Tour, so this was quite surprising. Here is another look at it:
"He desperately wants to win this match" 👀#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/QkiDhvNHtw
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 16, 2024
Alcaraz received a code violation warning from the umpire for the racket abuse, understandably so. Some would say that they appreciate the passion and drive to win from Alcaraz. On the other hand, a top-ranked pro like Alcaraz who has already won four Grand Slam titles at the young age of 21 should be able to keep things in perspective and keep their cool.
Alcaraz was unable to rally as Monfils pulled off the upset of 2nd-seeded Alcaraz 4-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-4 to advance to the third round where he will face Denmark's Holger Rune.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
