Alcaraz's rollercoaster performance avoided a repeat of last year's Cincinnati Masters tragedy.

In the second round of last year's Cincinnati Masters, Alcaraz, who had previously lost the men's singles final at the Paris Olympics and missed out on a gold medal, was physically and mentally drained and in pain, struggling to recover. This resulted in what he called "the worst match of his career" (Alcaraz's post-match comment), leading to a stunning comeback defeat by the nearly 38-year-old French veteran Monfils. Even more regrettably, when he fell behind 1-3 in the deciding set after being broken first, Alcaraz lost control of his negative emotions for the first time in his career, smashing his racket in anger, losing both the match and his composure.

Because of this, after the Cincinnati Masters kicked off last week, fans and media paid special attention to Alcaraz's return to the tour following his defeat in the Wimbledon final and a period of dormancy. Alcaraz's loss in the 2025 Wimbledon final mirrored his defeat in the gold medal showdown at the 2024 Paris Olympics. So, would the tragedy of Alcaraz at last year's Cincinnati Masters be repeated this year?

In the early hours of today, during the second round of the Cincinnati Masters, Alcaraz faced off against the Bosnian powerhouse Džumhur, and unexpectedly, both players delivered a rollercoaster-like showdown. In the first set, Alcaraz broke serve three times and, in just 28 minutes, took the lead with a lopsided score of 6-1. Just when fans thought that the world number two and Spanish all-rounder Alcaraz would follow in the footsteps of the world number one, defending champion Sinner, who easily dispatched his opponent in the second round in just 59 minutes with two 6-1 scores, Alcaraz suddenly faltered without warning, beginning his rollercoaster performance.

In the second set, Alcaraz was broken in two consecutive service games, losing five games in a row and quickly falling to a 2-6 defeat. Entering the deciding set, Alcaraz regained his composure, breaking serve first to lead 4-1. Although Džumhur managed to break back and level the score at 3-4, Alcaraz quickly refocused, breaking and holding serve to win the match with a score of 6-3, achieving what initially seemed like an easy victory that turned out to be hard-earned.

Alcaraz's tragedy at last year's Cincinnati Masters did not repeat itself this year. However, the match was not merely unsatisfactory; it was disappointing.

Alcaraz's second serve still showed no signs of improvement, as he recorded six double faults and had a second serve winning percentage of only 52%. Even more disheartening was that in the second set, Alcaraz's second serve winning percentage was an astonishingly poor 0%! Throughout the match, Alcaraz committed a staggering 44 unforced errors, which was more than double his 21 winners. His net points won percentage barely surpassed half, at only 55% (11/20). If it weren't for the fatigue of the 33-year-old Bosnian powerhouse Džumhur, the outcome of this match could have been quite uncertain.

Fortunately, Alcaraz has a clear understanding of his condition and confidence. "The match was like a rollercoaster," he remarked about himself. He also stated, "I did many things wrong in this match, made too many errors, and wasn't focused enough. The only positive aspect is that I finally won this tough match, which gives me a chance to improve next time. I need to train hard, regain my confidence, and hope to play better in the next round."

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Colorful Bean Powder)