For Rafael Nadal, breaking his racket on court was never an option.
You can’t say the same for Carlos Alcaraz after his Cincinnati Masters histrionics during his shock second round defeat to Gael Monfils.
The young Spaniard, who this year made it back-to-back Wimbledon triumphs – while also winning the French Open, the tournament famously dominated by his compatriot for the better part of two decades – was forced to apologise after his meltdown on Friday.
Alcaraz smashed his racket onto the ground several times during the outburst before being handed a code violation by the umpire. And having won the first set he was ultimately unable to battle to victory, with his opponent winning the match 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.
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Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner, explained during an interview nearly five years ago that his family simply would never allow him to show his frustration or anger in such a manner.
Asked during an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes in 2019 how many rackets he had broken, he signalled the answer by forming a zero with his finger and thumb as a beaming smile appeared on his face.
