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BOXING

‘Anthony Joshua beware’…‘He shook me to my core’ – Anthony Joshua sent alarming warning about Daniel Dubois

By Admin August 20, 2024

Daniel Dubois has been handed a glowing reference by sparring partner Johnny Fisher ahead of his showdown with Anthony Joshua.

Johnny Fisher has issued a warning to Anthony Joshua ahead of his upcoming face-off with Daniel Dubois. Fisher, known as ‘The Romford Bull’, delivered an intriguing breakdown of the fight between the two fighters.

Despite favouring Joshua for the win, Fisher warned that it won’t be a walk in the park for AJ. In an interview with Seconds Out, the 25-year-old reflected on his own sparring experiences with Dubois, admitting one punch from the 26-year-old left him staggered.

READ: VIDEO – ‘I will prove on November 15 all the haters wrong’: Jake Paul and Mike Tyson officially announce rescheduled fight

Fisher said: “Dubois can seriously whack you – I’ve sparred him loads, the right hands could shake you to your absolute core, like they shake you. I remember I got hit by one, it was like an electric shock going through my body.”

Despite ample respect for Dubois’ strength, Fisher is placing his bets on Joshua emerging with the win. When asked who will take the title, he said: “Definitely Anthony Joshua. But not the margin that people would suspect. I reckon it’s like a 55/60 to a 40/45 split in favour of Anthony Joshua.”

“I haven’t sparred Joshua and I know how hard he can hit just from who he’s knocked out and what he’s done to people,” Fisher continued.

“But the jab of Dubois as well is like a right hand so – I can’t speak about sparring Joshua, I know that Dubois isn’t no joke and is coming off great ones like Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgović. Hrgović has been a sort of bogey man after the last two to three years, so to deal with him is [good].

“It’s not going to be an easy night for Joshua but one thing that makes me think Joshua will win – the amount of right hands Hrgović hit Dubois with, Joshua if he lands these right hands then it’s going to be night-night.”

Dubois has prepared to face Joshua with victories over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, after he was knocked out by Oleksandr Usyk in a controversial fight. The British fighter hit Usyk with a punch that was deemed a low blow by referee Luis Pabon – who gave the Ukrainian more time to recover, allowing him to fight back and beat Dubois in the ninth round.

Since two consecutive losses to Usyk, Joshua has gone 4-0 with wins against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou. Joshua and Dubois are set to go head-to-head on Saturday, September 21 at Wembley Stadium, where they’ll be battling it out for the IBF heavyweight title.

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GOLF

Rory McIlroy sinks to new low as PGA Tour season falling apart after St. Jude Championship

By Admin August 19, 2024

Rory McIlroy’s brutal season continued this past weekend after finishing tied 68th place at the FedEx St Jude Championship while struggling after naming himself ‘golf’s nearly man’

Rory McIlroy had one of the worst performances of his career at the FedEx St Jude Championship this past weekend in what can only be described as a worrying showing.

McIlroy finished in 68th place with Jordan Speith and Max Homa surprisingly playing just as poorly – the only two men to have finished below him. The Northern Irishman finished the tournament in Memphis with some worrying statistics, including having the second-worst driving week of his career (-4.015), the 21st-worst approach week of his career (-3.126), and the third-worst putting week of his career (-7.833).

READ: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler completely disagree as PGA Tour rule splits opinions

The world number three finished at nine-over-par – a whopping 26 shots more than winner Hideki Matsuyama to drop him to fifth in the FedEx Cup standings while being 3,974 points behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy made only one birdie on Sunday with his brutal round including a triple-bogey six at the par-three 14th after he sent his tee shot flying into the water.

Earlier last week, McIlroy stated that he’d begin to think of himself as the sport’s ‘nearly man’ after his recent disappointments at the US Open and Olympics.

This coming after coming agonisingly close to ending his 10-year wait for another major tournament win after he bogeyed three of his last four holes including missing a two-foot putt as Bryson DeChambeau won his second US Open. Just weeks later, McIlroy looked to be in line to win a medal for Ireland at the Olympics but ultimately fell to shots short.

Speaking prior to the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, McIlroy told reporters: ” I just have to finish off tournaments better. There’s been glimpses where I have done it, like Quail Hollow, for example, but obviously US Open, you know, Olympics.

“Yeah, I just, it’s just sort of, I feel like this year, maybe the last couple of years, I’ve just found a way to hit the wrong shot at the wrong time. That might go into preparation and trying to practice a little more under pressure at home. You know, you go through these things in golf, and you go through these little challenges, and you just have to try to figure out a way to get through it.

“And my challenge right now is, is that it’s, it’s really good, but not quite good enough to to sort of take home the silverware,” he continued, as he acknowledged that he has been doing some soul searching. “So it’s just, you know, something I’m having to work through.”

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TENNIS

Aryna Sabalenka rises to No 2 after breaking the wall in rivalry with Iga Swiatek

By Admin August 19, 2024

Aryna Sabalenka believes she has achieved a breakthrough win over Iga Swiatek as she moved closer to another big title.

Sabalenka advanced to her first WTA Cincinnati Open final, defeating Swiatek 6-3, 6-3 in their semi-final clash.

The Australian Open champion had been eliminated in the last four on three prior occasions, including the past two tournaments, but she defeated her Polish opponent in straight sets for the first time.

JUST IN: Why Jannik Sinner’s win over Alexander Zverev is both good news and bad news for Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz

Sabalenka kept the points short and snappy in their third match of the season and first on hard court, thanks to a precise serve and return game.

Swiatek leads the circuit in both service and return game wins, but she failed to break through on both counts on Sunday.

While WTA Tour star from Minsk served at only 52 per cent, she was able to win 67 per cent of her first serves and 53 per cent of her second.

Swiatek, the world No 1, was also aiming for her maiden final in Cincinnati, but a woeful 20% success rate off her second serve contributed significantly to her defeat.

The rankings queen might have gone down in straight sets but Sabalenka felt she couldn’t make any mistakes against a relentless foe.

“It sounds like I broke the wall, finally,” Sabalenka said, after beating Swiatek.

“Of course, I’m super happy to be in the final after such a tough battle against Iga.

“I kept telling myself, that’s why she’s world No. 1. She’s going to fight till the last point so you have got to stay aggressive and keep doing your job.”

On Tuesday, the Belarusian will overtake Coco Gauff to reclaim the No 2 spot in the PIF WTA rankings. Consequently, she is expected to be the No 2 seed in the US Open.

Sabalenka will also leapfrog Elena Rybakina to reach to second place on the PIF Race to the WTA Finals Leaderboard, trailing only Swiatek, who has already qualified for the season-ending tournament.

She admitted that she prefers to be cast in the underdog role but accepted that her rise in the rankings is down to her strong efforts.

“I feel comfortable being in the bottom half of the net, but I’ll be more comfortable to see myself on the top half of the net,” Sabalenka said, “I’m trying my best to get there.”

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TENNIS

Why Jannik Sinner’s win over Alexander Zverev is both good news and bad news for Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz

By Admin August 19, 2024

Jannik Sinner’s victory over Alexander Zverev in the semi-final at the Cincinnati Open has had a big impact on the seedings for the US Open and the world No 1 ranking.

The Italian claimed a 7-6 (11-9), 5-7, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Zverev to deny the German the chance of usurping Novak Djokovic and Carlos in the ATP Rankings ahead of the US Open.

Sinner, Djokovic, Alcaraz and Zverev were the top four in the rankings ahead of the Cincinnati Open and the former was assured of always assured of remaining at No 1 after the event following Djokovic’s decision to skip both the Canadian and Cincinnati Masters 1000 events.

READ: Coco Gauff admits she is struggling in key area ahead of US Open as she looks to hit reset button

Alcaraz, meanwhile, had the opportunity to overtake Djokovic at No 2 with a deep run in Cincy, but he fell at the first hurdle as he was beaten in the second round by Gael Monfils.

Zverev then had a chance to overtake both Djokovic and Alcaraz to claim the No 2 spot, but he had to go all the way at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

With Sinner winning their semi-final, the top 10 seedings for the US Open have been confirmed as the Italian is followed by Djokovic, Alcaraz, Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov and Alex de Minaur.

It means Sinner and Djokovic can only face each other in the final while Alcaraz and Zverev will likely have to get past both in order to win the US Open.

Sinner will face Frances Tiafoe in Monday’s final and the American has moved up to No 20 in the ATP Rankings with his run. If Tiafoe wins the Cincinnati Open then he will be seeded 17th for the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows.

Sinner’s run to the Cincy final has also put a dent in Djokovic and Alcaraz’s hopes of reclaiming the No 1 spot in the rankings after the US Open.

The Italian is on 9,410 points in the Live Rankings ahead of the Cincinnati final and he has only 180 points to defend in New York, which effectively puts him on 9,230 points (9,580 if he wins the final).

Djokovic is on 7,460 points and as the defending US Open champion that is the maximum he can achieve after the tournament, Alcaraz’s maximum is 8,860 and Zverev’s 8,675.

Sinner is thus assured of staying at No 1 until September 29 as the US Open is followed by the Davis Cup, Laver Cup and a couple of ATP 250 events where the top players didn’t feature last year.

The China Open, which runs from September 23-29, is the next event that will affect the top of the rankings as Sinner is the defending champion there.

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BOXING

‘I’ll be king forever’: Edgar Berlanga on a win over Canelo Alvarez

By Admin August 19, 2024

Edgar Berlanga may laud what Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has accomplished, but he says all respect will go out the window when the two meet on Sept. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

This isn’t to say that Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) is underestimating the Mexican superstar ahead of their super middleweight unification bout. But unlike prior opponents Jaime Munguia and Jermell Charlo, whom Berlanga believes were too reverent of the super middleweight king, Berlanga says he’s coming to win.

That much was apparent when the war of words began during a recent press tour to announce their Mexican Independence Day Weekend headliner, with things heating up in Los Angeles. While Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) promised an emphatic eighth-round knockout win, Berlanga, 27, vowed to utilize his ring IQ to upset the Mexican superstar.

JUST IN: VIDEO – ‘I will prove on November 15 all the haters wrong’: Jake Paul and Mike Tyson officially announce rescheduled fight

“I saw a maricón,” Berlanga said of their heated face-off. “And he knows he didn’t see no fear [in me]. He knows he saw himself. You know how Tony Montana says in the movie ‘Scarface,’ the eyes never lie? You never saw me looking around. I looked straight, right into his soul. I saw everything in his body. When I went to L.A. and he had 100 guys with him, and it was only five of us, I kept that same energy in his face. I don’t fear any man at all.”

Berlanga is leaving no stone unturned in his preparation for Alvarez, moving camp from New York to Colorado. The Brooklyn-born Boricua says he began training well before the fight was announced and has only increased the intensity since.

“This is the first time being away this far from home, logging and being in the mountains and stuff,” Berlanga told BoxingScene. “I just wanted to put in a little bit more. We’re facing a legend, he’s in the mountains, so that’s why I wanted to be in the mountains.

“We’re not going to find a guy that fights just like Canelo, but we got guys in the gym that have experience, the same height, that are strong and come forward and that also sort of mimic the things that he does in the ring. That’s the type of sparring [trainer Mark Farrait] is bringing in. We’re not bringing in guys who don’t listen. They got to follow what we want to do – what Canelo is going to be doing on Sept. 14.”

Berlanga has also re-enlisted the help of strength and conditioning coach Ángel “Memo” Heredia.

“This is our second fight together. He’s a great strength and conditioning coach,” said Berlanga. “He’s a great human being, too. We brought him on board my last fight. He definitely came in and helped us with a lot of strength and fine-tuned a lot of other things for my performance. I need to be explosive. It’s going well, man.”

Even so, Canelo remains a significant favorite to retain his unified 168-pound belts. Berlanga says that while Canelo is great, he isn’t invincible – and at age 34, with 65 pro fights, he is past his best.

“The jab is his kryptonite, and that’s what’s going to be in his face the whole night. A great jab,” Berlanga said. “He loads up on his punches too much. He’s not the old Canelo we saw at 154, the one who used to throw a lot of combinations. Now, the maximum number of punches he throws is maybe two – jab and a right hook, double jab and uppercut. But he’s throwing them hard because he wants to beat up on your shoulders and your arms so that later on you let your guard down and he starts hitting your face. He likes to throw a lot of good body shots as well. We’re ready for that.”

Alvarez is a significant step up for Berlanga. After winning his first 16 bouts via first-round KO, Berlanga went the distance in his subsequent five bouts before scoring a sixth-round KO over Padraig McCrory last February. A win over a legend would not only be a huge upset but perhaps the greatest win for Puerto Rico in its rivalry with Mexico.

“I’ll be a legend after I beat Canelo,” Berlanga declared. “I’ll be the king of Puerto Rico forever. Me having my first title shot for three belts versus a guy that was an undisputed Mexican legend. He’s a superstar, so if I beat him, it’s over, man. We got to walk through him on Sept. 14. I got to break his will.”

Many fight fans remain unconvinced, something Berlanga is all too aware of.

“I don’t pay any mind to people’s opinions. Just keep writing me off. I’m used to people doubting me and saying I’m going to get knocked out. That’s just going to make the victory even sweeter. That’s gonna make the celebration even bigger and that’s going to shake the whole boxing world come Sept. 14.”

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BOXING

VIDEO – ‘I will prove on November 15 all the haters wrong’: Jake Paul and Mike Tyson officially announce rescheduled fight

By Admin August 19, 2024

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will have their headlining boxing event this fall.

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson is back on following a postponement back in May due to medical issues from Tyson. Both Paul and Tyson held an official press conference in New York to discuss the fight which is now set for November 15 on Netflix, and Paul took on the heel role quickly.

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua ‘won’t sleep at night’ until he beats Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk winner to become undisputed

“Making history, this is what it’s all about for me,” Paul said to a rain of boos from the New York crowd. “New York, you’re just like Mike Tyson, you were good 20 years ago,” Paul shot back at the hostile crowd. “F—k you, New York.”

Shortly after Paul would take aim a Tyson for having their fight postponed as he dealt with some health issues.

“You had to go on your little menopause break and postpone the fight, so yeah, what about that, dog? I was ready before, you needed a little break. Your tummy hurt still?

“He’s vicious, he’s a killer, I know all of these things. He has one punch knockout power, he’s the greatest heavyweight of all time, but I will prove on November 15 all the haters wrong.”

Paul would continue to goad Tyson and tell him that he has absolutely no fear about what they’re about to get into, and you can check out some video highlights from the press event at the link at the top courtesy of Fight Hub TV.

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua ‘won’t sleep at night’ until he beats Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk winner to become undisputed

By Admin August 19, 2024

Anthony Joshua has once again set his sights set on becoming undisputed heavyweight champion, according to Barry Hearn.

The Watford powerhouse faces Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title on September 21, while Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk duke it out for the other three major sanctioning body world titles (WBC, WBA and WBO) on December 21.

Providing he beats ‘Triple D’, a fight against the winner of Usyk vs Fury 2 for all the marbles is expected to come next.

READ: Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois: Beating AJ will make me ‘legit champion’ – Dubois

British boxing fans will be hoping Fury can avenge his split decision defeat to Usyk and set up the long-awaited domestic showdown between him and AJ.

However, Joshua is just as motivated by a trilogy bout with the Ukrainian slickster after dropping a pair of decisions to him in 2021 and 2022.

“He wants to beat Usyk,” Hearn Sr told Sky Sports. “Because the first fight he had with Usyk, frankly he came out second best.

“He went away, he regrouped, he learned, he studied and he still got beat in the second fight. That’s why he got so disappointed in the second fight.

“It’s a split decision and it was close, but Anthony Joshua’s a very special type of sportsman. The money’s great.

“He’s got more than enough money, you could float a battleship if you put all his cash in one locker. But they want to win.

“These people want to win and they want a legacy. I don’t think Anthony Joshua will sleep at night until he is unified.”

Even if ‘The Gypsy King loses the rematch, there is a chance Joshua vs Fury could happen next.

“Joshua against Tyson Fury in early 2025 is the fight that we have a responsibility to deliver and we don’t walk away from our responsibilities,” Hearn added.

“Yes, I think it’s all of our duty, those involved. We have to keep delivering the very best product.

“We need to do that fight. I think personally that Usyk beats Fury in the rematch.

“It’s easier to make if Fury beats Usyk, because then if Joshua has beaten [Daniel] Dubois then you’ve got the unification fight because Joshua will hold the IBF belt.

“Usyk is a top-class world champion as a boxer, but doesn’t have the commercial appeal of Tyson Fury.

“So whatever happens in Fury-Usyk still assuming that AJ has won – and mustn’t get carried away with that, it’s not a foregone conclusion – assuming that AJ is victorious in that fight, there is no bigger fight in the world still than Fury and AJ.

“It’s the one the world’s waiting for. There isn’t a venue big enough to stage the number of people that would like to attend that. It will be colossal.”

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GOLF

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler completely disagree as PGA Tour rule splits opinions

By Admin August 18, 2024

For all his dominance in 2024, Scottie Scheffler can be toppled by the likes of Rory McIlroy in the PGA Tour play-offs – which unsurprisingly splits their opinions of the format

The PGA Tour ‘s play-offs have completely divided opinion between Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler has been by far and away the best PGA golfer this year. But the world No. 1’s six victories in 2024 only give him a shots-based advantage in the three tournaments, which determine the Tour champion.

READ: Scottie Scheffler lashes out after embarrassing shot during first PGA Tour event since Olympics victory

The top 50 in the FedEx Cup points standings after the St. Jude Championship this weekend will advance to next week’s BMW Championship, where that number will be whittled down to 30 for the concluding Tour Championship.

With 5,993 points, Scheffler is nearly 2,000 points ahead of closest rival Xander Schauffele on 4,057, and he’s got more than double McIlroy’s 2,545. But they’ve got a chance to catch up to him on the course, with the final winner of the FedEx Cup season claiming the trophy.

Given his dominance, Scheffler isn’t a fan of how it’s decided. “I talked about it the last few years. I think it’s silly,” he said. “You can’t call it a season-long race and have it come down to one tournament. Hypothetically, we get to East Lake (host of the Tour Championship) and my neck flares up and it doesn’t heal the way it did at The Players.

“I finish 30th in the FedExCup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament, is that really the season-long race? No. It’s a fun tournament. I don’t really consider it the season-long race like I think the way it’s called. But you’ve got to figure out a way to strike a balance between it being a good TV product and it still being a season-long race.

“Right now, I don’t know exactly how the ratings are or anything like that, but I know for a fact you can’t really quite call it the season-long race when it comes down to one stroke-play tournament on the same golf course each year.”

Barring any issues, Scheffler will start the Tour Championship on 10 under, at least two better than anyone else. But that hasn’t helped him triumph in the last two years. In 2022, he threw away a six-stroke lead and allowed McIlroy to claim a record third FedEx Cup.

Last year, he shot just one under overall and was 16 behind the champion Viktor Hovland. Scheffler’s frustration is likely heightened by the huge money on offer for the winner – $25million (£19m), which is not far off his record-breaking total earnings this year in excess of $28m (£22m).

McIlroy, on the other hand, is a fan. “I love this format because if it wasn’t this format, then none of us would have a chance against Scottie because he’s so far ahead,” he admitted. “So I really like this format. I think it makes the Tour Championship more exciting from a consumer standpoint.

“Is it the fairest reflection of who’s been the best player of the year? Probably not. But I think at this point we’re not in for totally fair; we’re in for entertainment and for trying to put on the best product we possibly can.”

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TENNIS

Iga Swiatek leads Serena Williams with sensational record highlighting her WTA 1000 excellence

By Admin August 18, 2024

Iga Swiatek has improved a stunning statistic that demonstrates her remarkable consistency at WTA 1000 tournaments by reaching the semi-finals in Cincinnati.

The world No 1 won an enthralling first encounter with 17-year-old Russian star Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarter-finals in Cincinnati.

Following her win against the world No 24, Swiatek said: “She’s playing and behaving like she’s older.

“I felt like we were playing at a similar level. It was really tight. Every point mattered at the end. It wasn’t easy.”

JUST IN: Why Carlos Alcaraz’s shock Cincinnati defeat could boost his bid for US Open glory

Swiatek will face world No 3 Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals in Cincinnati in what will be the pair’s 12th meeting. She holds an 8-3 record against her Belarusian rival and won their two previous encounters this season.

The Polish great is through to her 17th WTA 1000 level semi-final and she holds the record for the highest percentage of last four appearances at this category of tournament.

Here are the five players with the highest rate of WTA 1000 semi-finals reached since the format was introduced in 2009.

1. Iga Swiatek – 17 semi-finals from 31 appearances (54.8%)

Swiatek is playing the 31st WTA 1000 event of her career in Cincinnati and she has reached the last four or better in 54.8% of her appearances.

The 23-year-old has won 10 WTA 1000 titles from her previous 30 tournaments at this level and is looking to triumph in Cincinnati for the first time.

2. Serena Williams – 26 semi-finals from 49 appearances (53.1%)

Serena Williams progressed to 26 semi-finals at the 49 WTA 1000 tournaments she competed in, giving her a 53.1% semi-final rate.

The American legend won 13 WTA 1000 titles after the category came into force.

=3. Maria Sharapova – 22 semi-finals from 50 appearances (44%)

Maria Sharapova made 22 last four appearances from the 50 WTA 1000 events she featured in, giving her a 44% semi-final rate.

The Russian great claimed eight WTA 1000 titles from 2009 onwards.

=3. Ashleigh Barty – 11 semi-finals from 25 appearances (44%)

Ashleigh reached the semi-finals at 11 of the 25 WTA 1000 tournaments she played, which equates to 44% — an identical percentage to Sharapova.

The Australian icon secured three WTA 1000 titles.

5. Simona Halep – 29 semi-finals from 86 appearances (33.7%)

Simona Halep has advanced to 29 WTA 1000 semi-finals from her 86 appearances at this level to date, leaving her with a 33.7% last four rate.

The Romanian star has collected nine WTA 1000 titles so far in her career.

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TENNIS

Why Carlos Alcaraz’s shock Cincinnati defeat could boost his bid for US Open glory

By Admin August 18, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz looked genuinely shocked by the level of his performance as he slumped to a shocking defeat against Gael Monfils in Cincinnati, but this might just be the perfect reset for the form player in the men’s game.

Rain had forced the players off on Thursday night with Alcaraz a set up but 3-1 down in a second set tie-break and there was an expectation that

Frenchman Monfils was quickly out of the blocks to level the contest, and he then took the decider for a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 triumph.

READ: Iga Swiatek hits yet more milestones as she cruises into Cincinnati quarter-finals

Alcaraz’s frustration with his performance surfaced in the deciding set as he smashed his racquet after missing an opportunity to break 37-year-old Monfils’ serve, but that outburst of emotion did not fire his burners as he limped out of a tournament he reached the final in last year.

“I felt like it was the worst match that I ever played in my career,” said Alcaraz. “I couldn’t play. Honestly, I’ve been practising really well here in this tournament.

“The previous days, I was feeling great, hitting the ball clear, moving well. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how I felt like this, but I couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t be better. So this match, it was impossible to win.”

He also addressed his explosive racket smash as he added: “I felt sometimes that I wanted to break the racquet. It never happened before, because I could control myself in those situations, in those feelings.

“Most of the time I could control myself and it could go better in the matches or in the situation that I’ve been feeling before.

“Today, I couldn’t control myself, because, as I said, I was feeling that I was not playing any kind of tennis. I think some players, a lot of players, during their careers and during some certain moments, they can’t control themselves. And it was one of the moments for me.”

“It’s kind of really difficult to find some good stuff from this match. So I want to forget it, and try to move on to New York,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference.

“I’ll go to New York and I’ll try to practise well, to get used to those courts. And I will forget this match because I think it is impossible to get any good things about this match.”

His early exit will dent his ATP Ranking push ahead of the US Open, with his hopes of leaping ahead of Novak Djokovic to the No 2 position ahead of the final major of the year now over.

Yet Alcaraz has confirmed over the course of the last few weeks that he can beat Djokovic and world No 1 Jannik Sinner when he is fresh and at his best and the break he will now have ahead of the US Open could be just what he needs.

Alcaraz has had more than enough tennis in recent weeks to take some time off to prepare for his return to Flushing Meadows.

This shocking loss against Monfils will give him a chance to head to New York early and get extra practice in the conditions that he needs to master to win his second US Open title.

Being seeded No 3 for the tournament will be a blow as it means he may need to beat Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic to take the title if his two big rivals get that far in the competition.

Yet the other two members of the new ‘Big 3’ at the top of the men’s game also have some doubts hovering around them.

Sinner admits he is struggling physically amid suggestions that the hip injury that forced him to miss big tournaments during the European clay court season has resurfaced.

Meanwhile, footage of Djokovic has emerged showing him partying in Serbia as he continues to celebrate his cherished Olympic gold men, which he won by beating Alcaraz in the Paris 2024 final.

Alcaraz didn’t get much practice on the super-fast courts in Cincinnati before he played Monfils and the courts in New York should be at a pace that is more to his liking as he targets a third Grand Slam title of the year.

His angry racket smash came as a shock to a tennis world not used to seeing Alcaraz lose his cool, but it highlighted the fire burning inside this magnificent 21-year-old superstar and that will serve him well at the US Open.

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