Carlos Alcaraz says what he found ‘insane’ about the tournament in Cincinnati after going out

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Carlos Alcaraz commented on the court speed at the Cincinnati Open after his shock defeat.

The Spaniard is already out of the tournament following a surprising three-set loss to veteran Gael Monfils.

He squandered a one-set lead and struggled to keep control of the match as Monfils claimed his first win over Alcaraz and ninth against a top three player.

The World number three will now head to New York to compete at Flushing Meadows with successive defeats after he came up short against Novak Djokovic in the final of the Paris Olympic Games.

What did Carlos Alcaraz find ‘insane’ about the Cincinnati Open?

Carlos Alcaraz returned to hard courts for the first time since March when he entered the Cincinnati Open.

The Ohio-based tournament is known for its quick courts, with Jack Draper saying the event has some of the fastest courts he has ever played on.

But Alcaraz noticed a difference in the court he practised on and the centre court where he played his opening match, and he could not believe how the conditions changed.

“For me this year compared to other courts, I have been practicing pretty well. Feeling great here this year. I warmed up on court five before this match and it was a totally different court for me. That’s my feeling.

“I remember yesterday I stepped on the court and warmed up, the five minutes, and we couldn’t put two balls in. It was incredibly different. It was insane. I don’t know why that’s different courts, different kind of speed the surfaces.”

What did Carlos Alcaraz do during his Cincinnati Open loss to Gael Monfils?

As Alcaraz felt his Cincinnati Open clash with Monfils starting to slip away, he let his emotions get the better of him.

After Monfils held his serve to go 3-1 up in the final set, Alcaraz snapped and repeatedly slammed his racket onto the ground and break it, which prompted gasps around the stadium.

But the release of frustration did not help as Momfils secured a 6-4, 6-7(5), 4-6 to beat Alcaraz for the first time.

“I felt like it was the worst match that I ever played in my career,” Alcaraz told reporters post-match. “[I] couldn’t play. Honestly, I’ve been practising really well here in this tournament.

“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, but I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t be better. So this match, it was impossible to win.”