Carlos Alcaraz loses opportunity to overtake Novak Djokovic in ATP rankings after Cincinnati Open defeat

Carlos Alcaraz can drop to the fourth spot in the rankings if Alexander Zverev wins the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Paris Olympics silver medalist Carlos Alcaraz faced Frenchman Gael Monfils in the Round of 32 of Cincinnati Open 2024. The Spaniard won the first set 4-6 and looked confident about winning the match. However, the 37-year-old Monfils recovered well to stay in the fight.

The match was interrupted by rain, and play was halted at 4-6, 6-6 in favour of Carlos Alcaraz. However, after the match resumed on Friday, the second seed lost the tiebreak, and the match was forced into the deciding set. In the third set, Alcaraz failed to convert four breakpoint opportunities and also won only 57% of the net points, compared to 89% for Monfils.

It seemed like the Frenchman had found the code to defeat the ATP World No. #3. Monfils converted only a single breakpoint and sealed his victory in the third set 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 after two hours and 31 minutes. After the match, the 21-year-old revealed that it was one of the worst matches of his professional career.

He said, “I think it was the worst match I’ve played in my career. I couldn’t play. I felt like it was another sport playing on the centre court than the other courts…”

Carlos Alcaraz, last year’s runner-up, was defending 600 ATP ranking points in Cincinnati. Due to the second-round loss, he has lost 590 points in this edition. Had he won the tournament, he had a chance to overtake Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic in the rankings.

However, due to Alcaraz’s defeat, Germany’s Alexander Zverev now has a realistic chance to win the Cincinnati Open 2024 title and become the new ATP World No. #2, leapfrogging Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. The 2024 Roland Garros runner-up will face America’s Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals of the ATP 1000 event later today.

ALSO READ: Cincinnati Open 2024: Top five matches August 17, predictions featuring Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek & more

Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner will maintain his distance in the top spot in the rankings, as he’s one win away from crossing the 9000-point mark. The Italian tennis star will face Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinal. Last Saturday, the two faced each other in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Canadian Open, where Rublev won in three sets.

Throughout the match, Jannik Sinner seemed to be in pain. During the breaks, he was seen massaging his right hip, and his coach was also spotted asking Sinner to take a medical timeout and demand a doctor. The 22-year-old has been suffering from the hip issue since the Monte Carlo Masters in April.

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