After winning his second consecutive Wimbledon title last year, Carlos Alcaraz suffered a large dip in form during the US hard-court swing.
The Spaniard enjoyed a phenomenal first half to the summer, emerging victorious at the All England Club and earning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
Things changed quickly for Alcaraz, though, as soon as he crossed the Atlantic and began his US Open preparations.
He withdrew from the Canadian Open to give himself more time to recover from a busy June and July, and then entered his first hard-court tune-up event in Cincinnati.
Alcaraz’s first-round opponent at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament was Gael Monfils, who would hand him an unlikely defeat in a match he described as the worst he had ever played.
Carlos Alcaraz’s first round defeat to Gael Monfils in Cincinnati
After losing the first set, Monfils fought back and claimed the victory, while frustrations boiled over for the second seed.
When the Frenchman won a point to go three games to one up in the third set, Alcaraz smashed his racket on the floor in rage.
It was something you rarely see from the five-time major champion, who said after the match: “Honestly, it was really tough for me. I feel like it was the worst match I’ve ever played in my career.
“I couldn’t play, honestly. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how I felt this way. Honestly, I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t be better. This match was impossible to win. That’s all.”
Following the loss, he issued an apology on social media for his outburst, taking to X to say: “I apologise because my attitude yesterday was not correct and it is something that should not be done on the track.
“I am human, I had a lot of nerves inside, and sometimes it is very difficult to control yourself when your heart rate is so high.
“I will work so that it does not happen again. Time to think about NYC!”
Carlos Alcaraz’s early exit at the US Open in 2024
After his disappointing campaign at the Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz returned to Flushing Meadows for the US Open.
In the former champion’s opening match, he dropped a set to Li Tu, but managed to advance to the second round.
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Second Round | Botic van de Zandschulp | 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 (L) |
| First Round | Li Tu | 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 (W) |
That was as far as Alcaraz would go, however, as he went on to lose in straight sets to Botic van de Zandschulp and crash out of the tournament.
The shocking upset marked his worst finish at a Grand Slam since 2021, and worst in his career at Flushing Meadows.
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