Rafael Nadal comment delivers brutal truth to Carlos Alcaraz after racket smashing rage

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal once shared that his family would never have permitted him to smash a racket on court.

Recently, reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz made headlines for smashing his racket during a second-round loss to Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Masters—an unusual display of frustration for the typically composed 21-year-old. Nadal, who teamed up with Alcaraz in the men’s doubles at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, is well-acquainted with the pressures of the sport. Having won 22 out of 30 Grand Slam finals, Nadal is known for maintaining his composure under pressure.

In a 2019 interview, Nadal revealed that he had never broken a racket throughout his career. “My family would never have allowed me to break a racket. For me, breaking a racket means I’m not in control of my emotions,” Nadal told CBS.

Given Alcaraz’s recent outburst in Cincinnati, there’s speculation that Nadal might have a word with his Olympic doubles partner, according to the Express. Alcaraz, who is on the cusp of potentially completing the Grand Slam with a win at the 2025 Australian Open, has already won four major titles. But in the match against Monfils, after losing a third-set break point, he shattered his racket in frustration. The umpire issued a code violation, and Alcaraz ultimately lost the match 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. Reflecting on his defeat, Alcaraz admitted, “I felt sometimes that I wanted to break the racket. It never happened before because I could control myself in those situations, in those feelings. Today I couldn’t control myself because I felt like I wasn’t playing any kind of tennis. I think a lot of players, at certain moments in their careers, can’t control themselves, and it was one of those moments for me.”

Alcaraz later took to social media to apologize for his actions. “I want to apologize for my attitude yesterday. It was not good and should not happen on court,” Alcaraz said. “I’m human; the nerves had accumulated, and sometimes it’s very tough to control when there’s that much tension. I will work so that it doesn’t happen again.”