Carlos Alcaraz was spotted crying on the bench after his match against Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters ended, and he addressed it in the press conference after.
It was a very heated clash between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati. Not only was the match super close and competitive, it was really hot that day in Cincinnati, making things even tougher for both players.
After losing the match in three sets, the Spaniard was spotted on the bench crying, probably overcome with emotions after battling for nearly four hours. Speaking after the match, Alcaraz couldn't quite pinpoint why he was exactly crying, adding that he's really proud of the effort.
Exhausted. No, I feel proud of myself, honestly. I talking and I don't know why I was crying because I fight until the last ball. I almost beat one of the greatest of all time from our sport.
It was a brutal loss for Alcaraz, who could have and probably should have won the match. He took the opening set, held a break in the second set, and had a match point but couldn't quite get it done. The disappointment about the loss was huge, but there was also a lot of pride in what he was able to achieve.
It wasn't an easy event but rather one where he had to battle every time. Getting to a final in a week such as that was good for his confidence, especially after the shaky one in Toronto. It wasn't the desired outcome in the final, but it was still good ahead of the US Open.
There is a very good chance we get to see this matchup at the US Open, and getting one brutal match like this should help him prepare better for another one that might happen at the US Open.