Carlos Alcaraz is usually all smiles on the tennis court, which made his explosive meltdown at the 2025 Queen’s Club Championships pretty shocking to watch.
The 22-year-old Spanish star was supposed to cruise past his fellow countryman Jaume Munar without much trouble. After all, we’re talking about a two-time French Open champion going up against a guy who’s never made it past the second round of any Grand Slam.
Things started exactly as expected.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Alcaraz won a competitive first set and looked like he’d wrap things up in straight sets. But then everything went sideways in a marathon 102-minute second set that Munar somehow stole 7-6 in a tiebreak.
Suddenly, one of the biggest upsets of 2025 was staring everyone in the face.
Munar actually led 4-2 in the deciding set before Alcaraz finally found his groove again. The final score: 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 after what can only be described as an epic battle.
But it was what happened during that third set that really caught people’s attention.
The Spanish Outburst That Said Everything
When Alcaraz got broken to fall behind 2-3, he completely lost it during the changeover. And since he was ranting in Spanish, Munar understood every single word.
The usually composed world No. 2 shouted and swore three times at his coaching team. Maybe he chose Spanish instead of English to spare the Queen’s Club crowd from hearing exactly what he thought about his performance.
"There’s no way I can win, shy kick, fung sh**y kick." (translated from Spanish)*
It’s pretty rare stuff from a player known for keeping his cool even in the biggest moments. That smile that fans love? Nowhere to be found.
This Isn’t Actually New Territory
While Alcaraz’s outburst was surprising, it wasn’t completely out of character. He’s had a few of these moments when things get really tough.
Remember the 2024 ATP Finals? He slammed his racket down hard after losing the opening set to Alexander Zverev. That frustration carried over, and he ended up losing in straight sets.
Then there was that weird loss to Gael Monfils at the 2024 Cincinnati Open. Alcaraz spent most of the third set smashing his racket like he was trying to break it into a thousand pieces.
That Cincinnati meltdown probably had everything to do with what happened a few weeks earlier in Paris.
Novak Djokovic had just crushed his Olympic dreams, beating him in the gold medal match. The loss left Alcaraz in tears during his post-match interview – one of the most heartbreaking moments in recent tennis.
His first match after that devastating defeat? Against Monfils in Cincinnati. It’s pretty clear he hadn’t gotten over losing the biggest prize in tennis yet.
Even Champions Struggle With Setbacks
Alcaraz isn’t the only top player dealing with the mental side of brutal losses. Jannik Sinner knows exactly what that feels like right now.
Less than two weeks ago, the Italian had three championship points to win the French Open final against Alcaraz. Three chances to claim his first clay court Grand Slam.
He lost all three. Then lost the match.
After getting knocked out early at the Halle Open by Alexander Bublik, Sinner admitted it was really hard to play again so soon after "the toughest moment" of his career. At least he managed to win a couple matches before heading into Wimbledon.
What’s Next for the Spanish Star?
Both Alcaraz and Sinner will be among the favorites when Wimbledon starts. The grass courts of the All England Club tend to bring out the best in players, and both have shown they can handle the pressure of Grand Slam tennis.
Of course, they’ll have to deal with Novak Djokovic, who’s hunting for his eighth Wimbledon title. That would tie Roger Federer’s record at SW19 – not exactly a small goal for the 37-year-old Serbian.
For Alcaraz, the Queen’s Club scare might actually be exactly what he needed. Sometimes a tough match early in the grass season can wake you up before the real business begins at Wimbledon.
