“I can’t play like this” – Carlos Alcaraz explodes in anger at balls used in Shanghai Masters during shock 3R loss
Carlos Alcaraz exited the Shanghai Masters after a frustrating day at the office. The seven-time Grand Slam champion suffered a surprise straight-sets defeat against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, going down 7-5, 7-6(4).
The Spaniard was off-color throughout the encounter, dropping his serve thrice over the course of the match. His return numbers were similarly disappointing, with him winning only 21% of the points when returning the first serve and 48% for the second.
During a change of ends, Alcaraz made his frustration known. He exploded into an angry tirade against the balls, complaining of the uneven bounce he was getting on his groundstrokes.
“I don’t understand a thing. It can’t be that one ball bounces and the other slips on me. I can’t, man, I can’t play like this, man. D**n it!” Carlos Alcaraz could be heard saying in the video.
The video of the rant has since been widely circulated on social media. Alcaraz can be seen talking to himself in anger while also briefly addressing his player’s box.
The outburst, however, did not help the Spaniard’s cause. After losing the opening set due to a crucial break of serve towards the back end, he ended up coming up short in a tiebreaker in the second.
