In a stunning result at the Cincinnati Open, World No. 46 Gael Monfils upset World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling match that spanned two days.
After dropping the first set on Thursday, Monfils returned on Friday with renewed energy, winning a tense second-set tiebreaker and then holding his nerve to take the third set, securing a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory.
Alcaraz, frustrated by his performance, admitted:
“I felt like it was the worst match that I’ve ever played in my career.”
Monfils’ victory is particularly remarkable given that he had never won a set against Alcaraz in their previous encounters. At 37 years old, he becomes the second-oldest player to defeat a top 3 opponent this century, trailing only Roger Federer, who achieved the feat at 38.
The young Spanish star, who needed at least a quarterfinal finish in Cincinnati to climb to the No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings, struggled to find his form. After Monfils held serve to go up 3-1 in the third set, Alcaraz smashed his racket in frustration, unable to break through the veteran’s defenses.
With this loss, Alcaraz remains at No. 3 and will now focus on the upcoming U.S. Open, where he hopes to reclaim his winning ways. Meanwhile, Monfils moves on to face Holger Rune for a place in the quarterfinals.
