Carlos Alcaraz is feeling the heat at the ATP Finals, and it’s been a rocky ride for the young Spanish sensation. After a tough opening loss to Casper Ruud, Alcaraz bounced back in style with a solid win over Andrey Rublev, giving fans hope that he was finding his groove. But just when it seemed like the momentum was shifting in his favor, things took a sharp turn. In his third match against Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz couldn’t keep the rhythm going and faced another frustrating defeat. The setback didn’t just hit the scoreboard—it clearly hit Alcaraz emotionally, with his frustration spilling out on the court.

The Spanish sensation took on his German counterpart with the intention of winning the match and securing his position in the semi-finals. However, destiny did not seem to be in his favor as he lost the match in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-4. But what unfolded after the first set was not just surprising but also unexpected for a player like Alcaraz who is known for his calm demeanor. 

In some visuals surfacing on X, Alcaraz was seen throwing his racquet on the ground which fell on his kit bag, as struggle and frustration were evident on his face. Sharing the same, a user wrote, “A pretty rare racket throw from Carlos Alcaraz after dropping a close first set vs Zverev…” While this came at a time when the Spaniard was also battling health issues owing to a cold and blocked nose, tennis enthusiasts did not seem to show much sympathy for his latest gesture. 

Several fans took to the comment section of the post and lashed out at Carlos Alcaraz highlighting that this is not the first time when he has demonstrated such an act. As the star player faces tremendous struggles, the latest anger from fans has just added another layer to his woes. 

Carlos Alcaraz in hot waters over his angry gesture in Turin

Taking to X, one user wrote, “Rare? We’ve seen a lot of this already and we gonna continue to see this from him.” Remember, Alcaraz engaged in a similar gesture against Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Masters this year. Despite winning the first set of his opening match, the Spanish star failed to keep his momentum intact and lost the other two sets. With the match in the third set, he lost a crucial point against the Frenchman which left him furious. Alcaraz was seen smashing his racquet against the ground several times expressing his frustration. More reactions continued to follow.

Responding to the post, another user took a dig at his performance on the indoor hard courts and wrote, “The points he loses on fast hard courts are so perplexing.” For the unversed, the 4-time Grand Slam champion played 33 matches on the indoor hard courts ahead of the ATP Finals. Despite losing only 10 of these encounters, he has faced serious criticism especially because he has failed to win a single title except the Next Gen ATP Finals 2021. Similar reactions continued to follow as more users joined the fray. 

 “Again???  I hope he stops talking big after this, but he will not..” Alcaraz has often highlighted how he wants to be one of the best players on tour and also shared a commanding message about his desire to overcome his woes at the hard and fast surfaces as well. “I am sure an ambitious guy, I am sure I am gonna get that level and gonna be one of the best players in the world in the court and gonna win you know the important tournaments,” he said after defeating Rublev in the second match of the tournament. However, his latest performance amalgamated with his anger has forced fans to doubt his remarks.

One more user lashed out at the 21-year-old and said, “His head is in Malaga,” signifying that he is more concerned about the Davis Cup than the ATP Finals. Alcaraz is scheduled to play alongside Rafael Nadal in Malanga later this month, which will also be Rafa’s last tournament. With Alcaraz depicting immense respect for Nadal and expressing his desire to play one more time under his tutelage, fans are claiming that he is more focused on the Davis Cup. 

Yet another user simply took a jibe at Alcaraz and wrote, “I would say he has great form with the racket smashes haha.” For now, it would be interesting to see if Carlos Alcaraz would come out to give a statement over his latest rage and explain what provoked him into such an action.