WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz suffers rankings blow as he OBLITERATES racket in Cincinnati loss
Carlos Alcaraz stunned tennis fans with a dramatic racket smash in his shock Cincinnati Open loss to Gael Monfils on Friday.
Monfils and Alcaraz started their round two match on Thursday night and the Spaniard was a set up when play was halted – though was 4-2 down in the second set tiebreak.
And French star Monfils maintained his advantage when play resumed on Friday, forcing a deciding set – and sealing the crucial break early on.
The 37-year-old sealed one of his most impressive wins in recent years in a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over the world No 3 – but it was his opponent’s frustration that got everyone talking.
In a tight start to the third set, Alcaraz missed break point chances as Monfils served at 2-1 up in the third set.
And, as the Frenchman sent down a strong smash to hold and move 3-1 up in the third, the second seed responded to losing the game by completely destroying his racket.
“He desperately wants to win this match” #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/QkiDhvNHtw
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 16, 2024
The outburst shocked the Centre Court crowd in Cincinnati, with a few whistling in the aftermath of the incident.
It also caused a huge reaction on social media, with many left in disbelief that the reigning French Open and Wimbledon acted in the way he did.
It was a surprise move for the four-time major winner, who is renowned for keeping cool and composed on court – and usually playing with a smile on his face.
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Defeat means that the Spaniard will lose his finalist points from 2023, allowing Jannik Sinner to build even more of a cushion as the world No 1.
It means that Alcaraz is currently set to be the third seed at the US Open and, as things stand, will be in the same half of one of Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
However, he could be knocked down to world No 4 and be the fourth seed at the major, with Alexander Zverev able to rise to world No 2 with a run to the title in Cincinnati.
Alcaraz memorably claimed his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2022, defeating Casper Ruud in the final, and reached the last four 12 months ago, losing to Daniil Medvedev.
Victory today is significant for Monfils.
The Frenchman is the oldest player to beat an opponent inside the top three of the ATP Rankings since 1992, when Jimmy Connors defeated Michael Stich.
Coupled with his round one win over Canadian Open champion Alexei Popyrin, he is also now in the third round of a tournament after discussing his recent confidence struggles on social media.
