World number three and reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz came crashing down to a shocking 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 defeat at the hands of French veteran Gael Monfils, 37, in the opening round of the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open on Friday. Visible frustration, climaxed by a violent racquet smash, was the lot of the 21-year-old Spaniard, who could not match the seasoned Monfils with his two-decade experience.
Alcaraz, the Cincinnati runner-up a year ago, struck 40 unforced errors and now heads to the US Open with concerns, not having won on hardcourts this summer. The match was suspended due to rain Thursday night, with Monfils holding momentum when play picked up Friday. But once the action resumed, it was all Monfils. Alcaraz battled nobly, but couldn’t regain control as Monfils closed out the win in the third set.
Meanwhile, world number one Jannik Sinner celebrated his 23rd birthday by collecting a walkover win following the withdrawal of Australian Jordan Thompson with a rib injury. Sinner now faces Andrey Rublev in a rematch after the latter gained a hard-fought win from a rain-delayed match against Brandon Nakashima, 7-6(5), 6-1.
Fifth seed Alexander Zverev also sailed into the quarterfinals, defeating Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 7-6. Seventh seed Casper Ruud continued to struggle as he fell to Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-1 in just 68 minutes, with the Canadian firing 14 aces.
The defeat will provide plenty of questions for Alcaraz going into the US Open, when he will look to regain his form on hard courts.
