Laura Robson was left stunned by Carlos Alcaraz who smashed a racket during a defeat to Gael Monfils.
The young Spaniard was up against the veteran in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open and suffered a shock 6-4, 6-7(5), 4-6 defeat.
This is the not result the World number three was expecting in what was his first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Olympic final.
Alcaraz is now set to enter the US Open following successive defeats, something nobody expected ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year.
What did Laura Robson say about Carlos Alcaraz at the Cincinnati Open?
Carlos Alcaraz began playing Gael Monfils on Thursday at the Cincinnati Open.
Alcaraz was in control of the match after taking the first set, but with the score locked at 6-6 in the second set tiebreak, heavy rain suspended the match until Friday.
It was Monfils who claimed the tiebreak and after opening up a 3-1 lead in the deciding set, Alcaraz lost his cool and repeatedly slammed his racket into the ground and broke it.
This stunned Robson, who was commentating for Sky Sports. “Goodness, Wow! When do you see that from him?”, the former Wimbledon junior champion said.
“That has properly shocked me. When was the last time he broke a racket? And he has melted that thing.”
Co-commentator Jonathan Overend added: “When have you seen that before in the life of Carlos Alcaraz? That’s almost like his whole career of frustration coming out in one split second.”
What did Carlos Alcaraz say after his Cincinnati Open defeat?
Alcaraz was playing his first hard court match since the Miami Open in March.
He made the transition after a gruelling period playing on grass and clay and the four-time Grand Slam champion struggled to find his usual level.
Monfils used his experience to handle the windy conditions and stayed calm under pressure as he secured his ninth win over a player ranked inside the world’s top three.
Alcaraz was bitterly disappointed post match and described his latest defeat as the worst match that he has ever played.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
