Carlos Alcaraz smashes racket multiple times in frustration against Gael Monfils at Cincinnati Open; video goes viral

The match has spanned two days due to weather conditions. Alcaraz won the first set 6-4 but was down 3-1 in the tiebreak when rain interrupted play.

Carlos Alcaraz took his anger out (via X/Tennis TV)

The rain delay seemed to favor Gael Monfils, who went on to win the tiebreak and led Alcaraz in the third set. The Spaniard was on the ropes against Monfils and needed a desperate comeback to stay in the match. However, it was to no avail as he lost the third set 6-4 to the Frenchman, eventually crashing out of the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz’s lead-up to the US Open

Carlos Alcaraz hopes to put the Olympic defeat behind him and begin his bid for a second US Open title later this month. The Spaniard won the first of his four Grand Slam titles at Flushing Meadows in 2022.

However, Alcaraz was unable to defend his title last year, losing to Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals. He withdrew from the National Bank Open due to a scheduling conflict with the Paris Olympics.

Now, he was back at the Cincinnati Open and aims to return to winning form ahead of the US Open. Last year, he lost the Cincinnati Open final to Novak Djokovic in three tight sets. However, this year, his loss came much earlier than expected.