Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of veteran Gael Monfils in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Friday.
The 21-year-old, whose last competitive match was the heartbreaking loss to Novak Djokovic in the Olympic final, looked out-of-sorts on the court.
Alcaraz was unable to adapt to the quick Cincinnati conditions, coming unstuck by the Frenchman 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4.
After Monfils had broken serve in the deciding set, it appeared that the match was agonizingly out of reach for the Spaniard.
It was at this point that Alcaraz obliterated his racket – something we do not see too often from him, if ever.
Carlos Alcaraz sends apology after meltdown in Cincinnati
Carlos Alcaraz was distraught as his preparations for the upcoming US Open have taken a significant blow.
He explained during a post-match press conference that he had never felt like that on a tennis court before.
Now, Alcaraz has taken to social media to announce an apology.
“I want to apologise for my attitude yesterday,” he posted. “It was not good and that should not happen on court.
“I’m human, the nerves had accumulated and sometimes it’s very tough to control when there is that tension. I will work so that it doesn’t happen again.
“Now it’s time to think about NYC!”
Alcaraz is human after all
It’s been a long season for Alcaraz, who can achieve another incredible feat at the US Open next month.
He is the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, but his gut-wrenching loss to Djokovic in the Olympic final appears to have got to him
We rarely see this sort of behaviour from the world number three, but it shows that he is human after all.
He now faces a tough race against the clock to be prepared for the American major, but if there is someone capable of making that turnaround, it is he.
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