Alcaraz is toughest on himself: "It has been the worst match I have played in my career"

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Frustrated and critical of himself, Carlos Alcaraz sat down to talk to the press a few minutes after his surprising defeat against Gael Monfils at the ATP Cincinnati 2024. He confirmed that it was the first time he had broken a racket in a match since turning professional, a sign of his disappointment with his own tennis that has left him out of the tournament without getting past his debut.

His worst match

"Honestly, it has been very, very tough for me. I don't know what happened. I feel like it has been the worst match I have played in my career. I couldn't play. I came from good practice sessions here in this tournament in the previous days, hitting the ball well and moving well on the court," Carlos confessed at the press conference, incredulous at what happened in Cincinnati.

About the court speed conditions

"I felt like I was playing a different sport on the center court compared to the other courts. The ball was faster, much more so than on the others. I warmed up before the match, and it was a completely different feeling, I don't know why. I don't know what happened, why I felt this way. I couldn't control myself, I couldn't be better, so this match was impossible to win, and that's it."

Did the rain delay help you?

"The only thing that worried me was to recover well to be prepared for today's match. I didn't play well yesterday either, we didn't have any rallies, it was all serving, trying to get the balls in, and that was it. The longest rally yesterday was 5 shots; I couldn't find good feelings. I thought today would be different, that I would feel better, but it didn't happen."

Did you have expectations of winning?

"I always go to tournaments thinking I have a chance to win, wanting to show good tennis on the court, but I came thinking I would feel good, I know how to play on these courts, but I felt that the surfaces were completely different, like another sport."

What lesson do you take from this match?

"I want to forget about this match and focus on New York. We will go there soon, and I will try to train and adapt to the courts. I want to forget about this match because it's impossible to take anything good from this encounter."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El Alcaraz más duro consigo mismo: "Ha sido el peor partido que he jugado en mi carrera"