Carlos Alcaraz annihilated his racket in a rare outburst after failing to convert break points against Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open.
Last year’s runner-up was on the verge of an opening-round exit when he lost the second set and went down an early break in the decider.
He couldn’t get back on serve and smashed his racket into the ground several times, receiving a code violation from the umpire.
The world No. 3 rarely loses his cool in a match and is known for his smiley demeanour. But tempers flared when he found himself on the verge of crashing out of the Cincinnati Open.
Alcaraz took the first set against Monfils when they started their match on Thursday night. But it was rained off with the Frenchman leading in the second set tiebreak. When they returned on Friday, Monfils took the second set and went 2-1 up with the break in the decider.
The 21-year-old couldn’t convert a break point to get back on serve in the very next game, which lasted more than five minutes. When Monfils won it, Alcaraz responded by pummeling his racket into the court repeatedly. His actions left Sky Sports commentators Jonathan Overend and Laura Robson in shock.
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