Carlos Alcaraz expressed his frustration with a dramatic racquet smash during his 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 loss at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open on Friday, describing it as the “worst match” of his career. The reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion struggled to counter the experienced tactics of 37-year-old French player Gael Monfils, who remains a formidable opponent despite his two-decade career.
“It was the worst match that I ever played in my career,” Alcaraz said. “I couldn’t play.
“I don’t know what happened. Honestly, I couldn’t, I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t be better. It was impossible to win, and that’s all.”
The Spaniard added: “I came here thinking I’m going to feel good. I’m going to put in a good tennis, because I know how to play on this court.”
Alcaraz said he had never before broken a racquet in anger but this match was the exception.
The ATP number three and 2023 Cincinnati runner-up heads to the US Open starting a week from Monday without a hardcourt win and only one second-round summer cement match in his legs.
“It’s really difficult to find some goodstuffs from this match -I want to forget it and try to move on to New York,” he said.
“I’ll try to practice well, to get used to those courts. And I will forget this match.”
After his victory, Gael Monfils began a third-round match just hours later but ran out of steam, allowing Holger Rune to secure a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback win. Meanwhile, the frustrated second seed Carlos Alcaraz was visibly upset with his performance and occasionally shouted at his team.
In contrast, world number one Jannik Sinner marked his 23rd birthday quietly, receiving a walkover into the quarter-finals when Australian Jordan Thompson withdrew due to a rib injury.
Sinner will face Andrey Rublev in a rematch of their recent quarter-final in Canada, which Rublev won. Rublev had finished a rain-delayed match against Brandon Nakashima with a score of 7-6 (7/5), 6-1. Third seed Alexander Zverev moved into the last eight with a 7-5, 7-6 (8/6) win over Pablo Carreno Busta.
Number five Hubert Hurkacz continued his swift recovery from July knee surgery with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Flavio Cobolli. Seventh seed Casper Ruud’s poor form persisted as he was defeated 6-3, 6-1 by Felix Auger-Aliassime, who served 14 aces in just 68 minutes.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Marta Kostyuk, marking her second win over the Ukrainian this season. Swiatek, who previously defeated Kostyuk at Indian Wells in March, now holds a 3-0 record against her rival without dropping a set.
Swiatek efficiently secured her win after a tough three-set battle against Varvara Gracheva in the previous round. She completed the opening set in just 31 minutes and had little trouble in the second. “I’m pleased with how I maintained my intensity,” Swiatek said. “In my first match, I lost some focus, but I was prepared for every game today.
I’m happy with my discipline and how I handled everything I aimed to.”
In other women’s matches, third seed Aryna Sabalenka reached her fourth quarter-final here with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Elina Svitolina, who is married to Gael Monfils. Sixth seed Jessica Pegula advanced by winning two matches: first a delayed second-round clash against 2023 runner-up Karolina Muchova, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, and then a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Taylor Townsend, setting up a quarter-final against Leylah Fernandez.
Caroline Wozniacki, a mother of two, was defeated by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4. Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen won against Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-1, 7-5 but was later knocked out by Pavlyuchenkova in a third-round match, 7-5, 6-1. Teenager Mirra Andreeva defeated Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
